


Deeper Shade Of Blue - When it all changes: Life, Love and Family in Torchwood - Series 9

by missthingsplace



Category: Torchwood
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, Comfort, Complete, Hurt, M/M, Mpreg, Rating: NC17, Series, WIAC:LLAFIT
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-09
Updated: 2014-02-09
Packaged: 2018-01-11 17:28:19
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 39
Words: 47,350
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1175847
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/missthingsplace/pseuds/missthingsplace
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>An unexpected event throws their lives in chaos, both personally and professionally ...</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

 

Title: Deeper Shade Of Blue   
Author: missthingsplace  
Parings/characters: Jack/Ianto, Gwen/Rhys, Martha, 10th Doctor, Donna, Andy My OC's: Caden, Eloise, Claire, Damien, Chloe/James, Ben/Sandy, Ianto's family  
Disclaimer: I don't own Torchwood or any of the characters ... unfortunately.  
Summary: An unexpected event throws their lives in chaos, both personally and professionally ...  
Spoilers: Minor ones, no surprises if you have seen the programmes - Set far after season 2 – completely AU  
Warnings: Mentions of Mpreg, angst, language, slash  
Rating: PG - NC17 For series.

When Jack woke up it wasn't due to the alarm clock going off or the early autumn sun streaming through the window it was because someone was placing butterfly kisses over his stomach, opening one eye he smiled as he watched Ianto place the tender kisses on his belly unaware he was being observed. Ianto's eyes were closed and he was completely engrossed in his task, his hand resting lightly on Jack's hip.

“Hey.” Jack said softly, opening the other eye.

“Mmmm.” Ianto replied, not stopping what he was doing.

“As much as that feels delectable maybe you'd like to come up here and give me my morning kiss?”

Ianto placed a few more kisses to Jack's stomach before kissing his way up Jack's torso and then kissing him tenderly on the mouth before he opened his eyes.

“Morning.” Ianto said smiling.

“You can wake me up like that as often as you want.”

Ianto brushed his hand back and forth over Jack's flat stomach. “Do you think it might have happened yet?”

Jack chuckled softly, it amused him when he thought about how adamant Ianto had been that he wasn't going to have any more children and now, after a year of trying with no success he was the one desperate for Jack to be pregnant. When Martha had removed the contraceptive implant she had told them that she had no first hand knowledge of the device but normally after using a form of long term birth control it could take a while for pregnancy to happen. Neither of them were obsessing over it yet though, but they were silently willing for it to happen sooner rather than later.

“You can't wait can you, I remember just how much you liked my belly when it was all swollen with the twins.”

“I have to admit I found it very erotic.”

“Well, we shall have to wait and see, the symptoms won't start showing that fast and it's less than a week since I last took a test.”

“I know.” Ianto gave a soft sigh before kissing Jack on the lips again, a little deeper than before.

They broke apart as the door burst open and Caden and Eloise bounded in and jumped on their bed, amazing missing both their fathers bodies.

“You were kissing.” Eloise giggled.

“Kissings icky.” Caden said pulling a face.

Both Jack and Ianto burst out laughing at his face as Jack grabbed the little boy and placed a sloppy kiss to his cheek to which Caden responded by giving a loud 'Yuck' and wiping his cheek with the back of his hand causing Eloise to join in with the laughing.

“Kissing is not icky, it's nice.” Eloise stated, grinning at her fathers.

“Well, it's going to be a very long time before you're old enough to find out.” Jack told her causing Ianto to laugh again, Jack was going to be a very over protective father when she got older.

“I never want to kiss anyone, blugh.”

“You'll feel different when you're older.” Ianto told him. “Especially if your anything like your daddy.”

“Hey.” Jack pouted, giving him a playful slap.

“Right you two.” Ianto told the kids. “You ready to go and get your very first school uniforms today?”

“Yeah.” Two excited voices called out in unison.

“Are you excited about starting school?” Jack asked.

“Yeah.” They yelled again, bouncing up and down on the bed.

“Right, go and find Claire, she's probably got your breakfast waiting for you while daddy and I get ready to take you.” Ianto finished.

“Okay dada.” They replied, then shot off downstairs.

“I still can't believe they are nearly five and about to start school.” Jack sighed. “They'll be all grown up before we know it.”

“I'm just grateful we're all still here together.” Ianto replied, his voice a little emotional.

“Never think like that, death by Torchwood is not going to happen anytime soon.” Jack replied as he pulled Ianto close and kissed him tenderly.

“Come on, lets get showered and dressed while the bubs are having breakfast.” Jack said as they pulled apart. “I promise to behave.”

“You better, we must get that lock on the bathroom door mended.”

“Ianto, never put images of what could be in my head just before we share a shower.” Jack groaned.

“Maybe we should shower separately then.”

“No, no, I'll be good.” Jack pouted making Ianto laugh as they climbed out of bed and headed for the bathroom.

They had no hang ups with the kids seeing them kissing, or naked while sharing a shower for that matter but there was no way they'd ever risk them catching them having sex. They had decided when they were smaller that their kids wouldn't grow up with any hang ups over their own bodies, or thinking that showing affection was wrong.

An hour or so later Ianto was beginning to wish they had taken Claire up on her offer of taking the twins to buy their first school uniforms, they had managed to locate most of the required items of clothing in one of the larger department stores but still needed a few things and the twins, who were excited when they left the house that morning were now getting bored.

Having decided to take control of the required items by each having one twin, Ianto was rather relieved to have Eloise as although bored she was doing by being sulky and quietly uncooperative. Jack had Caden and although they were the other side of the shop Ianto could tell he was having a little trouble keeping his son in line.

Jack hadn't resorted to shouting yet but his temper was being pushed to the limit as Caden kept running off and hiding, as Ianto headed towards the children's underwear department to buy new vest, pants and tights, the tights having to be in the correct colour Jack appeared without Caden looking a little frantic.

“Is Caden with you?” He asked anxiously.

“No, he'll be hiding from you again.” Ianto couldn't help the small smirk on his face.

“I've searched everywhere, he's vanished.”

“Okay, lets not panic yet, he'll be here somewhere. You go that way, Eloise and I will look over there.”

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

When Caden wandered into the lift along with the other people waiting it all looked like a big adventure to him, and he had managed to hide from his daddy. When the lift stopped on the floor above he emerged to find himself in the toy department, his eyes lit up as he saw nothing but toys.

He left the lift and headed straight towards the Action Man toys, soldiers were the best he thought to himself as he picked up a boxed doll. He wondered it he promised to behave would his daddy buy it for him, then he spotted a toy spaceship and wandered off again leaving the doll on the floor.

It was a good half an hour before he began to worry why his daddy hadn't found him, he tried to find the lift but he didn't seem to be able to get back to it. In the end he did the only thing he thought would help, he threw himself down on the floor and burst into tears and attracted the attention of one of the shop assistants.

“Hey, you lost sweetie?” She asked him gently.

“Want my daddy.”

“Is daddy here with the toys?”

Caden shook his head and looked up at her tearfully. “Nope.”

“How did you get here?”

“Lift.”

“Okay, we need to find your daddy, he must be wondering where you are. What's daddy's name?”

Caden gave her a look as if to ask if she was mad. “Daddy.”

“Of course sweetheart, what does mummy call daddy?”

“I don't have a mummy.”

A little ripple of sadness went through her heart, she reached down and picked him up off the floor and carried him to the customer services desk.

“Does daddy look after you all on his own?”

“No, dada's there too.”

It took a moment for this to sink in, but once it did she let out a little “Oh.”

“Okay,” She said smiling. “What does dada call daddy?”

“Gorgeous.”

She laughed softly. “Anything else?”

“Jack.”

She sighed quietly, there could be dozens of Jack's in the store.

“What's your name?”

“Caden Harkness-Jones.” He told her proudly.

Now, that was better she thought and asked the person behind the desk to put out a customer announcement.

*

It had taken Jack and Ianto nearly fifteen minutes to search the whole floor, both of them regretting taking them to such a large shop. They finally met back where they had started, Eloise was starting to get upset now, picking up on her daddies panic.

“No sign, where the hell is he?” Jack shouted, he was worried out of his mind and blaming himself.

“How the hell do I know?” Ianto shouted back.

“Sorry, just panicking here.”

“Okay, time to be logical. Find a member of staff and get a call put out for him.”

“Daddy, Caden is naughty.” Eloise looked up at Jack.

Jack bent down and lifted her into his arms. “He shouldn't have run off, but daddy shouldn't have let him.”

“Daddy's naughty?”

“Yeah.” Jack sighed as they headed over to the checkouts, swerving sidewards when they spotted the customer services desk.

“Our little boy is missing, can you put out a call for him?” Ianto asked the assistant behind the counter.

“How old is he?”

“Nearly five, he ran off before his daddy could stop him.”

“Let me check with the other floors, maybe he's turned up and their trying to get a name out of him.”

“Please.” Jack told her.

As she went to pick the phone up there was an announcement over the stores tannoy.

“Could Mr Harkness-Jones please come to the customer service desk in the toy department located on the third floor, thank you.”

“That's us! They must have him.” Jack said striding off towards the lift.

“Thank you.” Ianto called to the woman before chasing after him and Eloise.

The lift seemed to take forever to arrive and even longer to reach the floor above, as soon as the doors opened they shot out and spotted the sign for the customer services desk and both ran through the maze of shop fittings towards it.

Caden spotted them instantly. “Daddy.” He shouted, wriggling as he tried to jump off the counter top.

“Wait, you'll hurt yourself.” The assistant told him, lifting him and setting him on the floor as two men arrived at the desk.

Caden threw himself at Jack, clutching his legs. Jack handed Eloise to Ianto and lifted him into his arms, hugging him tight.

“How did you get here?” He asked Caden. “You gave your daddies a fright.”

“I went on an adventure, I went in the lift all on my own like a big boy.”

“You won't do it again, will you?” Ianto asked him.

“No, I got scared.”

“And this nice lady helped you?”

Caden nodded.

“What do you say to her?” Ianto prompted him.

Caden looked at her and said quietly “Thank you.”

“That's okay sweetheart, now you be good for your daddies.”

“I will.”

Jack and Ianto both thanked her and took the lift back down to the children's department, as much as they just wanted to get out of the shop they also didn't want to have to come back again to get the uniforms. Locating the items again as quickly as possible they headed to the checkout, paid and left quickly wanting to get back home as soon as possible.

They still needed shoes but decided they would take Claire up on her offer and let their wonderful nanny do it for them, once they got home it was late afternoon. They fed the kids and got them bathed without worrying about their own needs as they twins were obviously very tired after their long day and after a little chat with Caden about what he had done and him promising to never do it again they got them to bed.

As Jack read them a bedtime story Ianto cooked them something to eat, normally they liked to eat as a family when they were all home but they just wanted to get the kids to bed and have some peace and quiet. Jack crept out the bedroom, the kids asleep before he had even read more than three pages and located Ianto in the kitchen.

Jack slipped his hands around Ianto's waist from behind and rested his chin on Ianto's shoulder.

“What's for dinner?”

“Pasta, fast and easy.”

“Kids are fast asleep, what a day.”

“I don't think Caden will be pulling a stunt like that again in the near future.”

“He won't be able to if I never let him go shopping ever again.”

Ianto laughed. “I pity his teachers.”

Jack groaned. “I foresee lots of parent – teacher meetings.”

“Maybe school will be good for him.”

“And pigs might fly.” Jack replied before kissing him tenderly on the back of the neck. “Dinner and bed?”

“Yep, I'm knackered.”

“Who mentioned sleep?”

TBC


	3. Chapter 3

Happy in the knowledge that they had given Claire the day and night off before they went out in the morning Jack cleared away the dinner things while Ianto showered, as Jack made his way to the bathroom he thanked the powers that be that the kids now slept through the night except for the rare occasion of childhood nightmares.

Jack arrived at the bathroom as Ianto emerged with a towel wrapped and round his waist and his hair sticking up at all angles from being towel dried, Jack pulled him into his arms and kissed him hard on the mouth, feeling the tingle on his own tongue from the toothpaste Ianto had just used.

“Won't be long.” Jack said, releasing him and heading into the bathroom.

Ianto yawned. “Better not be.”

When Jack entered the bedroom a very quick shower later Ianto was sprawled across the top of the duvet on his back, eyes closed, his legs parted wide and one hand was stroking his own cock while the other was dipped lower between his legs. Jack gulped at the sight of Ianto preparing himself, looking so beautiful and wanton lying there.

“You started without me.” Jack said as he crawled up the bed and kissed his lover.

“Very, very tired but suddenly very horny and as much as I love foreplay with you normally I just need your cock buried in me tonight.”

“Let me take care of that.” Jack put a hand between Ianto's legs and slid a finger into Ianto's arse next to Ianto's own. “Oooh, you're well prepared already.”

“Fuck me.”

“Ever the romantic.” Jack chuckled.

“Want you inside me, filling me, make me come.”

“What else do you want?”

“To see your face when you come inside me.”

Jack slid his finger from Ianto's body, taking Ianto's hand with it. Ianto passed him the lube and watched as Jack coated his own cock, rock hard from just watching Ianto pleasure himself. Ianto bent his knees, drawing his legs up and, letting go of his own cock he held his thighs with his hands giving Jack easy access to his arse.

As Jack's cock entered him Ianto arched his back and let out a loud sigh of pleasure, wrapping his legs around Jack's waist. His heels dug into Jack's arse as Jack began to slowly thrust into him, Jack thought he would never tire of the way Ianto's arse felt wrapped around his cock.

“Faster, harder.” Ianto panted.

“Sure?” Jack teased.

“Pound that wonderful cock of yours into me now.”

“How could I resist a request like that.”

Jack Gradually picked up his pace, getting faster and faster as Ianto thrust back to meet each one as the only sounds were that of flesh hitting flesh and moans and sighs of pleasure until Ianto's orgasm began to build.

“Jack, fuck ... oh god ... yes ... Jack ... I fucking love you.” Ianto shot his come all over their bodies, coming from Jack pounding into him alone.

Jack kept fucking him through his orgasm, trying to hold back as the sensations of Ianto's arse clenching around his cock threatened to send him over the edge. Once he felt Ianto begin to relax beneath him he let himself go, aware that Ianto was watching him as pleasure ripped through his body.

“I love you too beautiful.” Jack panted as he kissed Ianto deeply.

“Sleep now.” Ianto murmured closing his eyes.

“We should clean up.”

“Morning, don't care.”

Jack slid out of Ianto and off his body, grabbing a tissue from the bedside table and wiping away what he could before spooning against Ianto's back, closing his eyes and letting himself drift off to sleep thinking how he had never been so tired since they had the twins.

It was almost two weeks later when the morning came of the twins first day at school everyone was up bright and early in the Harkness-Jones household, Caden and Eloise were both excited to be starting school, thanks to Claire who had been telling them it would be fun and they would make lots of friends.

Jack and Ianto had been woken way before the alarm clock had gone off by the excited twosome jumping on their bed, they groaned simultaneously as they had had a very late night when the whole team had been called out on a Weevil sighting at one in the morning.

They told them to get in the bed and have a cuddle till their daddy and dada woke up properly, they slid in under the duvet and Caden cuddled his daddy while Eloise hugged her dada. Since the twins had got big enough to get themselves up they wound up in their bed a good few mornings as week.

This was often not practical when they had made love the night before, as neither of them wanted the hassle of getting up to shower afterwards most of the time. On these occasions they sent the kids off to find Claire as she was always up early.

Once the alarm sounded they sent them downstairs for breakfast, knowing Claire would be well on the way to having it prepared. When they were gone they got themselves out of bed and wrapped in their dressing gowns, ready to head down for breakfast themselves.

“First day of school can you believe it.” Ianto said grabbing Jack's hand and pulling him towards him.

“I still can't believe they'll be five in a month, where has time gone?”

“It flies by, before we know it they'll be teenagers.” Ianto joked.

“Oh don't. I think I may lock Eloise away till she's thirty and as for Caden ...”

“If he's anything like you and I have a feeling he will be, we'll have to lock him up too.”

“What are you trying to say?” Jack smirked.

“Oh nothing, just that he already flirts with everybody.”

“He's a four year old child!”

“It's not stopping him.” Ianto grinned.

Jack laughed as Ianto wrapped his arms around him and kissed him tenderly. “I wouldn't have him any other way, just like his daddy.” Ianto added.

“While Eloise is beautiful like her dada.”

“Daft sod.”

“Come on, breakfast and then we get to take our children to school.”

Once everyone was fed Claire took the twins upstairs to get them washed and dressed in their uniforms, Ianto followed to use the shower once they were finished, hearing the phone ring as he closed the bathroom door.

When he got to the bedroom to dress he found Jack waiting for him already dressed, he did not look happy.

“Rift predictor alarm sounded, something's coming through.”

“Damn.”

“The four of us can manage, you take the kids to school, at least one of their parents should be with them on their first day.”

“Sure?”

“Positive, shit why did it have to do this today of all days. I'll meet you at the hub?”

“Yep, go.”

Jack gave him a quick peck on the lips and left, Ianto sighed and dressed himself. They had been planning this all week, trust the rift to ruin it for them. When Ianto got back downstairs the twins were dressed, shoes and coats on and waiting to leave.

TBC


	4. Chapter 4

They both looked so young to be going to school Ianto thought as he put on his own shoes and coat, checking they had their new school bags and everything in them they needed the three of them headed out the door.

Caden and Eloise walked just in front of him, holding each others hands. Ianto felt so proud of them as they walked the short distance from their home to the school, Eloise with her pretty features, her daddy's blue eyes and a head of shiny brown curls. Caden with his daddy's jaw line, dada's eyes and his daddy's trademark smile. Yep, he couldn't deny it, he and Jack had produced gorgeous children.

Ianto watched them as they happily queued up with their new classmates to enter their classroom for their first day, he had thought they might get a little tearful when they got there, realising they were going to be with lots of people they had never met before but they were excited.

Ianto was feeling a little rejected as he watched them, he knew it was an irrational feeling as they would always love and need him but at that moment they were all entering a new part of their lives and things were bound to change a little.

“Breaks the heart a little, doesn't it.” A woman's voice said next to him.

Ianto looked to his side, a pretty brunette was standing next to him.

“That's my third and youngest off to school now and it doesn't get any easier.” She continued.

“I feel a little lost.” Ianto admitted, missing them already even though at that time of the day they would normally have been with Claire.

“Your wife not with you?” She asked, spotting the wedding ring on his finger.

“Husband.” Ianto smiled to himself at her slight blush. “He got called to work.”

“Oh right.” She replied, as if not what to say next.

Ianto held out his hand. “I'm Ianto.”

She smiled and shook it. “Jenny.”

They watched as the kids filtered into their classroom till they were all gone.

“Well, it's only for three hours. I'll survive.” Ianto told her laughing softly.

“So it is, eases them into it they say, does it for us to.” She smiled back. “See you at noon?”

“Work permitting, nice to meet you Jenny.”

They walked off in different directions, Ianto back to the house to collect his car to drive to work. He popped into the house first, telling Claire that he and hopefully Jack would pick the twins up again from school as long as nothing came up.

She nodded and told him to just call if they needed her to get them, Ianto left again for the hub. When he arrived it was deserted, putting on his bluetooth earpiece he contacted Jack. Jack sounded a little frantic as he told him they were still out trying to find whatever it was and he would let him know when they were on their way back.

Ianto spent the next couple of hours in the archives, catching up on some things that needed doing waiting for Jack to contact him in the hope he would be back in time to pick the twins up from school. It seemed it was not to be when it got to about twenty minutes before they were to come out, so Ianto grabbed his coat and car keys and headed towards home knowing it would be easier to park there and it was only a short walk to the school.

Ianto found Jenny as his side as he waited in the playground from the twins to be let out of school, he chatted happily to her, a little pleased as it seemed fathers were in the minority in the the playground.

They had promised the kids they would take them and pick them up as much as possible but said that Claire would be doing it mostly, the kids weren't worried by that. As soon as the classroom door opened the kids streamed out, Caden and Eloise shrieking with excitement when they saw Ianto.

“Dada, dada.”

Ianto crouched down and pulled them close, then took their hands for the walk home. By the time they left the playground there were barely any other parents or kids in it. Ianto saw Jenny walking away in the other direction with a little blonde haired girl, he found himself wondering absently if her little girl was in the same class as Caden and Eloise.

They reached home just as Jack pulled up in the SUV, jumping out and running towards his family and picking Eloise up and twirling her around as she giggled.

“I thought I might make it in time to pick them up, total waste of a morning that was.” He told Ianto.

“Nothing major then?” Ianto asked as they walked into the house.

The kids ran off to find Claire, both hungry and wanting their lunch as she had promised them something special for when they got home from school.

“No, just some bits of what looked like a spacecraft. Nothing dangerous but it took forever to find all the pieces.”

“Maybe we can take the kids together tomorrow, no matter.” Ianto told him.

“But it was their first day, I should have been there.” Jack frowned.

“I felt a little redundant actually, as soon as we reached the playground they ran off and left me, no tears or anything.”

“That's a good thing though, right? Means they aren't upset about going?”

“Yeah, I 'spose so. Anyway, I made a friend.” Ianto grinned.

“A friend?”

“Her name is Jenny, she took pity on me.”

Jack slipped his arms around Ianto's waist. “Should I be jealous?”

Ianto gave a grin. “Well, she's very pretty ....” Jack halted him by kissing him tenderly on the mouth. “But she's got nothing on you.” Ianto finished when the kiss broke.

“I hope you told her you were taken, wouldn't want her getting ideas?” Jack chuckled softly.

“She noticed my wedding ring, don't worry as I said, she took pity on me.” Ianto replied before they indulged in another kiss.

“We should get back to work.” Jack sighed.

“Daddy, dada.” Two excited voices called them as they heard their little footsteps running towards them.

“Slow down.” Ianto told them as they skidded to a halt in front of their parents.

“We want to tell you about school.” Caden told them.

“And we want to hear, but daddy and I have to go back to work but as soon as we get home you can tell us everything.” Ianto told him.

“Will you be home before we go to bed?” Eloise asked.

“We'll do our best sweetie.” Jack told her.

“Okay.” Eloise smiled and they rushed back off to find Claire again.

As they drove towards the hub neither of them said much, they were both thinking how grown up their four year olds were. They had seen a lot of things in their young lives that most people would never see and they had had it instilled in them from a very early age that it was secret and they shouldn't tell anyone about their fathers jobs, maybe they had grown up a little faster than normal.

When the tests on the kids DNA had finally been finished they weren't too amazed to find that they had enough of Jack's DNA in them that would mean they would probably live longer than normal but neither of them were immortal. As much as this would mean he would eventually lose them like Ianto, Jack wouldn't want to wish his immortality on them.

The one thing that did surprise them though was that it seemed Caden had inherited his father ability to bear children when he was older, they hadn't told their son this yet as they felt he was too young but they would have to broach the subject when he was older. Of course they had no idea what his sexuality would be but they couldn't risk him getting accidently pregnant if he was that way inclined. That was one talk they would have to have with both of them, not just their daughter.

Climbing out the SUV when they reached the hub they agreed that they were going to do everything in their power to get home in time to listen to their kids account of their first day at school, praying that the rift would behave for the rest of the day.

TBC


	5. Chapter 5

Thankful that the rift had decided to behave for the rest of the day they managed to get away early from the hub, Damien had offered to stay behind for a while letting the others leave after Jack insisted that he didn't leave to late and to put the hub on automatic to alert Jack via his wrist strap if anything came up. They arrived home to find the twins fed, bathed and in their pyjama's and they were both looking a little tired, they were both sprawled out on the sofa watching their favourite Disney movie.

“I think their first experience of school took it out of them a little.” Claire told them. “Best they have an early night tonight.”

“We'll put them to bed when they've told us about their day, go and relax in the bath or something. Want to join us for a drink once the bubs are in bed?” Jack asked.

“That would be nice, thanks.” Claire replied with a small yawn. “Sorry, they've been a little overexcited this afternoon.”

“They're enough to tire anyone out.” Ianto grinned.

“Right, bath!” Claire told them, heading out the room as Jack and Ianto moved towards the sofa, each pulling a twin onto their lap.

“So, come on, tell us what happened on your first day of school?” Jack prompted them, taking their attention away from the television.

“I made lots of friends daddy, there's Samantha and Sky and Amanda and Lisa and ... oh loads daddy.” Eloise said excitedly.

“I did too, all boys 'cos girls are yucky.” Caden pouted, making both his parents laugh.

“So, what happened in school, did you learn anything?” Ianto asked.

“They showed us around the school, where we will have PE and when we stay all day we get to have lunch there too!” Eloise exclaimed like it was the best thing she had ever heard.

“There's a climbing frame in the playground and we have a pet hamster in the classroom called Hammy.” Caden added. “But he's not as cool as Myfanwy, but we didn't tell them that.”

“Good, you know the rules, no talk about where your daddies work.”

“We know daddy, it's a good secret so we're allowed to have it.” Caden replied.

“Is your teacher nice?” Jack asked.

“Her name is Miss Jones and she's tall and has pretty blonde hair.” Eloise told them and then yawned loudly.

“I think it might be bedtime.” Ianto suggested.

“But it's early dada, I'm not tired.” Caden complained looking like he was about to fall asleep any second.

“But we haven't told you that we did colouring yet.” Eloise told them.

“Did you, what did you colour?” Jack asked.

“Miss gave us pictures of letters of the al .. pha ... bet and said we were to colour one each and they would be used to help us learn to read and write properly.” Caden informed them.

“Sound like a good idea to me, when you can read properly you can read me and daddy bedtime stories.” Ianto smiled softly at her drooping eyelids.

“Can we have a story?” Eloise asked.

“Of course, if you go to bed like good little bubs.” Jack replied.

“Yay.” Came two sleepy replies.

Holding them close Jack and Ianto got up from the sofa and carried them up to their bedroom, the twins could barely keep their eyes closed as they were put into their beds. By the time Jack had found the correct page in the book he was reading them they were both fast asleep. They crept out the room after turning on the small night light, Ianto knocked on Claire's door and told them to join them when she was ready and they headed back down to the living room.

Neither of them felt like cooking so Ianto ordered them some food from the Chinese and arranged for it to be delivered, with enough for Claire if she wanted some. Jack lit some candles while Ianto got the red wine and three glasses from the kitchen, Claire appearing looking cosy in her pyjama's and dressing gown as they did so. They snuggled close on the sofa as Claire settled into the armchair, spending a pleasant evening just relaxing.

The next morning they both slept through till the alarm clock went off, both of them knowing the long sleep was induced by the wine they had drunk. After snuggling sleepily for a while they dragged themselves out of bed and got themselves ready to take the kids to school, although neither of them actually mentioned it as they were worried it would jinx the morning. When it was time to leave for the short walk to school they each took the hand of a twin and walked the still excited duo down the road.

As the day before the kids ran off as soon as they reached the playground, each running off to what must be their new friends. Ianto reached for Jack's hand, knowing Jack would be feeling how he had the day before and squeezed it gently, not seeing Jenny appear beside them.

“Hi.” She said brightly, causing them to look away from the throng of children.

“Hi.” Ianto replied. “Jack, this is Jenny. Jenny, my husband Jack.”

“Ianto told me you were pretty but he didn't do you justice.” Jack said, holding out his hand to shake hers as Ianto rolled his eyes.

“I .... errr ... thank you.” Jenny stuttered.

“Jack, will you ever stop flirting?” Ianto asked, grinning.

“One day, you never know.” Jack replied, removing his hand from Ianto's and sliding his arm around his waist.

Jenny looked a little shocked that Ianto didn't seem at all worried that Jack had seemingly hit on her.

“It's okay, it's just his way, I trust him completely.” Ianto told her.

“Never given him reason not to.” Jack added, giving Ianto a smile that made Ianto melt a little inside.

“Oh, they're going into their classrooms.” Jenny said, changing the subject as she felt like she was intruding on a private moment.

Ianto chuckled softly breaking the slight awkwardness as they watched the kids file into their classrooms and then walked from the playground with Jenny, bidding her goodbye as they went in their opposite directions.

“I hope you haven't scared Jenny off.” Ianto joked. “She's the only who spoke to me yesterday.”

“Who can blame her, there was this beautiful man all on his own in the playground, what else was she to do.” Jack grinned.

“Have I told you lately what a daft sod you are?”

“Constantly, but you still love me.” Jack replied as they reached their house and car.

“Yep, but only 'cos you're so gorgeous.” Ianto laughed.

Jack slipped his arms around Ianto's waist and pulled him close, whispering in his ear. “And because I'm fabulous in bed.”

“Good job it's not for your modesty.” Ianto laughed and then kissed Jack softly.

“Come on, work before I drag you indoors and shag you senseless.” Jack replied, releasing Ianto's from his arms.

“Promises promises.” Ianto joked as they got into the car.

“Oh I promise that later I will do exactly that.” Jack told him, slamming the car into gear and speeding off towards the hub.

TBC


	6. Chapter 6

Arriving at the hub they discovered Damien and Chloe were both already there but there was no sign of Gwen, which was unusual as she was usually punctual. A little worried that something bad may have happened her Jack waited only ten minutes before calling her mobile, which got directed straight to the answer phone. Jack left a short message asking her to call, saying he was worried about her.

He had barely disconnected the call when she rushed in through the cog door looking more than a little flustered and ran straight up to Jack's office, throwing herself down on the chair opposite his desk and he now noticed she was looking a little off colour. As he went to speak to her she suddenly jumped back up and ran from the office, disappearing towards the bathroom as he watched her through the glass wall of his office.

“Ianto.” He called him over the comms.

“Jack?”

“Something is wrong with Gwen, she just rushed to the bathroom I think, you're nearest can you go and see if she's okay?”

“Sure Jack.”

Ianto cut the comm and left the archives where he was filing and headed towards the bathroom, he knocked on the door but didn't get any answer so he slowly pushed it open calling out to her.

“Gwen, you there, you okay?”

His only answer was the sound of someone throwing up in one of the cubicles, he rushed over to find Gwen on her knees, her elbows resting on the edge of the toilet seat and her head resting on them.

“Gwen, you sick, you should go home.” Ianto said softly, stroking the small of her back comfortingly.

“I'm not ill, can you help me up.”

Ianto helped her back into a standing position, she looked very pale and tired. She moved towards the row of small basins and looked into the mirror, groaned and then turned the tap on and splashed cold water on her face.

“Well, you certainly don't look like someone who's well.” Ianto told her.

“I need to speak to Jack, you too. He must be wondering why I suddenly fled from his office.”

“He sent me to find you, come on, lets get back up there. You feel like you're going to be sick again?”

“No, I think I'm okay now.” Gwen said, giving him a weak grin.

“Jack, she's okay, we're on our way up.” He told Jack over the comm as he walked with Gwen from the bathroom.

As they walked into Jack's office Jack got his feet, moved over towards her and grabbed her into a hug. “What's wrong, where were you this morning?”

“I was at the doctors, no I'm not sick ... I'm pregnant.” She told him a little hesitantly.

“Pregnant?” They both asked in unison.

“Yeah.” Gwen grinned while tears of happiness ran down her face.

“That's brilliant new, didn't I tell you it would happen?” Jack grinned back, knowing it was more than two years since her and Rhys finally agreed to start trying for a baby.

“Congratulations.” Ianto told her, kissing her on the cheek.

“Thank you so much, both of you. Now I'm actually pregnant I'm scared ... scared of it going wrong, scared of something being wrong with the baby, scared of giving birth.”

“No negative thinking allowed, this pregnancy, baby and birth will be just fine. You have Chloe on hand to reassure you about anything the whole way and you know you're on desk duty now, don't you?” Jack told her.

“But I'm only six weeks pregnant, surely ...”

“Don't take any chances Gwen, you'll never forgive yourself if anything happened.” Ianto added.

“I know, I know, it's just, well.” She stopped and shrugged.

“You'll be feeling useless?” Jack said. “Been there done that, but it will be so worth it when the baby is here.”

“Yeah.” Gwen sighed resignedly. “Hey, you're not pregnant again yet? That would be so cool us being pregnant together.”

“No, that's a point actually, maybe we should stop trying for a while.” He said to Ianto. “We would be compromised with two of us out of active duty.”

“We could cope, we've done it before.” Ianto told him.

Jack frowned. “When?”

“After ... after we lost Tosh and Owen.” He said sadly.

The three of them went quiet, pulling each other into a three way hug. It was seven years since they had died but any mention of them still hurt, they stood quietly in their thoughts for a while until Ianto spoke again.

“And we've already been trying a year Jack, Gwen could have given birth before you even fall pregnant.”

“True, okay it's decided, we keep trying for a baby.” Jack smiled at him.

“I remember when the twins were born, you were so adamant that Jack was never having anymore children.” Gwen grinned at Ianto.

“I know, but time changes how you look at things.” He smiled at her.

“Well, I hope it happens for you both soon. Now, I'm off to tell Damien and Chloe my good news.” Gwen told them as she headed out the office door.

“Rhys must be over the moon, he's wanted kids for as long as I can remember.” Jack commented, pulling Ianto into his arms and holding him tight.

“I must admit to being a little jealous.” Ianto replied, kissing Jack softly on the lips.

“Hey, it'll happen again for us.” Jack told him, kissing him a little deeper. “And then you'll have to put up with me being an hormonal mess again and wish I wasn't.”

“All I hope is that it's not twins again so it won't put so much pressure on your body, Chloe said the risk of pre eclampsia isn't as high in a second pregnancy, so I'm holding her to that!”

“It'll be fine.” Jack whispered against Ianto's lips before kissing him again, this time even deeper as Ianto parted his lips and welcomed Jack's tongue into his mouth.

Time stood still for them as they just lost themselves in the kiss, neither of them wanting to break it as their arms held each other tightly until they had to eventually had to break for air.

Ianto moved his hand and placed it on Jack's stomach. “Later, more baby making practice.” He smiled.

“An offer I will never turn down.” Jack grinned. “We could sneak off to the kids playroom?”

“No, no quickie sex, I want to make love to you, at home in our bed.”

“I'm going to be thinking of nothing else for the rest of the day now.” Jack groaned softly, his hand brushing over Ianto's buttock.

“I know.” Ianto smirked.

“Tease.”

“You love it.” Ianto chuckled.

“Yeah, one of the many things I love about you, I...”

They were interrupted by Jack's mobile ringing, slipping it from his pocket he glanced at the display and saw it was Claire calling. Without letting go of Ianto he flipped it open.

“Claire, what's up?” He asked trying not to moan as Ianto nibbled on his neck.

“It's Eloise, the school phoned.” Claire told him, her voice full of panic.

“Claire, calm down, is she sick?”

“No Jack, she's missing.” Claire replied as she burst into tears.

TBC


	7. Chapter 7

“Missing? What do you mean missing?” Jack asked, trying to keep his cool as he put his phone on loud speaker.

“The headmistress phoned, she told me that Eloise had been missed after their playtime. At first it was thought she was just hiding, playing some kind of game and the playground we searched and then the school but there was no sign of her, that's when they called here.” Chloe told them as she sobbed.

“What the fuck ... she is their responsibility while she is at school, how the hell can they not notice a child vanish.” Ianto shouted, making Claire sob harder.

“Ianto, it's not Claire's fault. Claire, he didn't mean to shout at you. Stay at home in case she's left school of her own accord for some reason, Ianto and I will go to the school.” Jack was desperately trying to keep control of his emotions.

Flipping his phone shut he added to Ianto. “They better have some good news when we arrive.”

Grabbing their coats and yelling to the others as they left that something had come up they ran from the hub, breaking all speed limits as the SUV raced through the street and screeching to a halt in the schools car park. Running through the school door they found the head teacher waiting somewhat nervously for them, their faces made her feel even worse.

“Come through.” She said quietly, indicating her office.

“Where the hell is our daughter?” Ianto growled as soon as she closed the door.

“We don't know, we are going through the CCTV tapes but we haven't found anything yet.”

“Have you called the police?” Jack asked.

“No, it states in your children's files that if anything happens you, or your partner should be called before anything else.”

“Good, whatever has happened we will find her.” Jack told her with determination.

“Where's Caden?” Ianto asked.

“With the school nurse, he got rather upset understandably.” She replied.

“We'd like to see him.” Jack told her.

“Follow me.”

She led them from the office and down a couple of corridors and to a door which stated it was the room of the school nurse, knocking first she opened the door and Jack and Ianto rushed past her at the sight of their little boy curled up on the small bed in the room crying his eyes out.

“Caden, daddy's here.” Jack said, scooping him into his arms and sitting down on the bed, Ianto beside him as they both held the distraught child.

“Daddy, dada, where's Eloise?”

“That's why were here bub, we're going to find her.”

“Did a nasty monster get her?” He asked, his eyes wide with fear.

“Shhhh.” Ianto tried to soothe him. “I bet she's fine, just playing a game.”

Jack and Ianto looked into each others eyes, words weren't needed to know they were both thinking the same thing. Someone or something had taken their child, then a horrible thought struck Jack.

“Do you think we could have five minutes alone?”

“Of course.” The headmistress replied and she and the nurse left the room.

Jack moved to the far side of the small room and dialled, his voice quiet but forceful as the call was answered.

“Martha, please tell me UNIT aren't after my family again?” He hissed.

“Jack, what's happened?” Martha asked, upset as his tone.

“Eloise is missing.” He told her bluntly.

“Jack, please believe me, UNIT have nothing to do with this. What happened?”

“She vanished from school, Martha it's only her second day.” Jack finally broke down, tears streaming down his face as he told her, watching Ianto crying silently as he held Caden.

There was a knock at the door and the head teacher opened it slowly. “You might want to see this.” She told them.

“Got to go Martha, sorry I jumped to that conclusion.” Jack told her, wiping the tears from his face.

“It's understandable Jack, look anything I can do to help you just call, okay?”

“Yeah, thanks.” Jack cut the call and he followed Ianto, who was carrying Caden out the room and followed the headmistress again to another room.

The room housed a small TV and a single chair, there was a man sat in the chair who looked like he must have been the caretaker, judging by the overalls he was wearing. The picture on the TV was frozen and showed the children playing in the playground, as Ianto held Caden tight with one arm his hand found Jacks and the head nodded to the man to start the video. The camera was obviously set to move back as forth across the playground, from one side to the other, as it reach the right hand side they could clearly see Eloise stood by the fence and a woman talking to her through it.

The woman was holding something in her hand but they couldn't see what and as she began to walk slowly along the edge of the fence Eloise followed her on the other side until the reached the locked, but low gate. Jack and Ianto watched horrified as Eloise raised her arms and the woman lifted her over the gate and took her hand, then they walked out of shot as the camera panned in the other direction again.

“What the hell just happened? How did someone entice our daughter away and no one see it happening?” Jack demanded.

The headmistress was as distressed at the two men glaring at her. “I don't know how this happened, there were teachers in the playground at the time. I can only apologise.”

“You can only apologise? Our daughter is kidnapped and that's all you can say?”

“Do you recognise the woman? Is she ... their mother?”

“They don't have a mother.” Jack seethed.

“But the woman, who gave birth to them, maybe ...”

Ianto cut her short. “There is no mother to come and kidnap them, it's impossible.”

“Oh.” She assumed the birth mother must be dead and dropped the subject. “I think we should call the police, try and identify this woman.”

“We can handle this, just give us a copy of the tape.” Jack told her.

“But the police have the resources that we have no chance of getting our hands on.”

“The tape, please and we would appreciate you keeping this quiet.” Ianto told her.

“I'm afraid it will be too late for that, all the kids know and the rest of their class has been sent home early as they were upset, their parents have already collected them.”

“Fuck.” Ianto muttered under his breath, praying Caden didn't hear him.

The man handed them a copy of the tape and they headed out the school, followed by the head telling them they would do anything to help.

“Just pray we get her back untouched and alive.” Jack growled, opening the door at the main entrance.

They weren't prepared for what awaited them, the local news were waiting for them and bombarding them with questions about their missing daughter. They rushed past ignoring them completely and got quickly into the SUV, Ianto in the back with Caden making sure he was strapped in. The camera crew took an even bigger interest in them now, as the SUV emblazoned with the words 'Torchwood' on the side shot out the school car park.

They took Caden home, where Claire finally calmed him down and he fell asleep exhausted while Jack and Ianto rushed back to the hub. The other three team members were horrified when they heard what had happened, they all waited nervously as they fed the images from the CCTV tape into the computer and then ran it through the police systems.

TBC


	8. Chapter 8

“NO MATCH FOUND”

“NO MATCH FOUND”

“NO MATCH FOUND”

“NO MATCH FOUND”

Every single search they tried came up the same, whoever this woman was she didn't have a criminal record. Gwen, Chloe and Damien looked on helplessly as they watched Jack and Ianto get more and more upset, none of them knowing what exactly they could say that would give them any kind of comfort.

“Okay, lets check the CCTV around the area near the school and see if we can see where they went.” Gwen suggested.

“Yeah, Ianto let Damien take over.” Jack told him.

“No.”

“Ianto, I know you're feeling exactly how I am and I know that is we need to find our daughter fast but you, we need to let other people help us.”

Ianto got up from the chair wordlessly and strode off fast across the hub and down towards the archives, Jack rushed after him moments later and caught up with him in the twins playroom. He was sat on the floor holding one of Eloise's favourite dolls and staring at it blankly.

“Ianto.” Jack said softly.

“I feel so useless Jack, our daughter has been taken and we have no idea by who or why.”

Jack sat on the floor next to him and took his hand in his and kissed it softly. “We will find our daughter, she will be alive and well and I won't allow myself to think otherwise.”

“What if they're hurting her Jack, she's so little ...”

“If we let ourselves think like that then we will fall apart, we have to be strong, for each other and for Caden.”

“We should be with Caden, he was so upset.” Ianto said quietly.

“We can't have him here while we are doing this, it will just upset him more. He's better off with Claire but we'll be with him as much as possible and we will find her soon.”

“I guess, we should go back and see if Damien has found anything yet.” Ianto replied as he got to his feet and put out his hand to Jack, who took it as he stood up.

Jack wrapped his arms around Ianto before he could move and held him tight, Ianto's arms encircling Jack as they stood there trying to bring comfort to each other. When they headed back up to the main hub they were both subdued, holding hands as if they didn't want to he apart from each other even for a minute.

As soon as Gwen spotted them she told them she needed to talk to them and the three of them walked up to Jack's office, she wasn't at all surprised when as Jack sat behind his desk he pulled Ianto down with him onto his lap. She could tell it was a comfort thing and nothing else as she sat in the chair opposite.

“We need to bring in the police Jack, they can help.”

“No, we can do this ourselves Gwen, this is our daughter missing and we will find her.” Jack told her.

“Jack, we're not chasing aliens here we're looking for a child that has been taken by a person, a woman who is as human as you and I and this is not what Torchwood do. This is what the police do, they are trained for situations like this.” She paused for a moment as what she said sunk in. “Yes, we can and should keep doing what we are, I want to find her as much as you do but we need help.”

“Call Andy Gwen.” Ianto told her, watching Jack as he made the decision for both of them.

Gwen looked at Jack, he nodded slowly knowing what she said was true.

“I'll do it now.” Gwen told them, getting to her feet. Andy had risen up the ranks in the police force in the last few years and she knew he would do anything to help.

Jack's mobile rang, as he slid it from his pocket and saw Claire's name on the display he allowed himself a little second of hope as he answered it but it was crushed instantly.

“Jack, Ianto's parents called, they asked if we had watched the local news. I told them we hadn't, Jack they are upset about Eloise and annoyed that neither of you have called them and they had to find out their granddaughter was missing via the TV. They're on their way here, you need to watch the news report.”

“Shit. Okay, we were so engrossed in trying to find her we never thought to call anyone. Tell them we'll see them soon, thanks Claire.” Jack cut the call.

“Your parents know.”

“How?” Ianto asked, confused.

“Bloody news reporters that were outside the school, we need to find out what they've said.”

Ianto, who was still seated on Jack's lap lent over and reached for the computer mouse, clicking on the internet and then typed the name of the local news station into the search engine. Within minutes they were watching the news report about their daughter, and they were not happy.

“Today a child was abducted from this school, we are not permitted to release her name at this time but it seems she was taken during playtime this morning. All that's known is she was caught on the schools CCTV talking to a woman through the fence and then went willingly with the woman as she lifted her over the locked gate.” The news reported said. “It's believed she did not know the woman and it's not known what was said to entice her away with her but we are told that there is no chance it is the child's birth mother. She lives with her two fathers and her twin brother. But the fact that they drove away from the school in the infamous Torchwood SUV is creating as much interest as the kidnapping itself.”

“Oh fuck!” Ianto exclaimed loudly, getting of Jack's lap and storming over to the glass wall of Jack's office.

“There is no way they can ever find out where this hub is situated, no way.” Jack stormed. “They have no business delving into our personal lives.”

“We have to stop them Jack, there must be a way.”

“You tell me, they are the press, sneaky little bastards. Whatever we do they will use it against us, say we are threatening them and it will just feed their curiosity.”

“Then we do our best stay out of their way, won't be easy but maybe we need to stay away from here for now?” Ianto suggested.

“Okay, even with Gwen on desk duty we can make this work. The three of them should be able to carry on as usual as long as they aren't seen with us and they can get hold of us if the rift spits something out that requires all of us.”

“Right, we can try it and see what happens.” Ianto agreed as Damien called up from below that he thought he had found something.

They both bounded down the steps from Jack's office and over to Damien's workstation and saw the image frozen on his screen, a fuzzy black and white picture from street not far from the school of a woman with blonde hair unlocking a dark coloured car while holding the hand of a small girl with dark curls, Eloise without a doubt. Damien began to play the footage, the woman was glancing around nervously as she opened the car door and the child climbed in.

“I think it's her.” Damien told them.

“Half the cars number plate is hidden, Gwen did you speak to Andy?” Jack called across to her.

“Yep, he's already working on it. As soon as he saw the news report he dropped everything and began his own investigation.”

“Damien, send this to him with a note saying we need him to try and track down the number plate of the car and it's owner, oh god we may just have got one step closer to finding out daughter.” Jack said hopefully. “We're leaving, the news have picked up on the 'story' and know we work for Torchwood and we need to try and distance ourselves from here for a few days and try and put them off the scent. Our mobiles will be on at ALL times, don't hesitate to call us if anything comes up and Gwen, no risk taking.”

“Yes Jack.” She replied solemnly.

“Right, lets go and face your parents.” Jack told Ianto as he grabbed his coat. “Find out anything, you tell us immediately.” Jack told the others as Ianto slipped his own coat on.

“Of course.”

The three of them watched as Jack and Ianto walked across the hub towards the cog door, their faces sad as they saw Jack reach out and take Ianto's hand in his own. They prayed for all their sakes that little Eloise was found soon, alive, well and unharmed in any way.

TBC


	9. Chapter 9

They barely got through the front door when Caden hurled himself at his parents, his face sad and blotchy as if he had been crying ever since Eloise had been taken, even though they knew he had slept.

“Daddy, dada, where's Ellie, did you find her?”

“Ellie?” Ianto asked, no one had ever used that shortened version of her name before.

“Eloise, it's what her friends called her.” Caden replied as if they should have known it.

“Less than two days at school and she's got herself a nickname.” Jack said to Ianto, sadness etched on his face.

“You didn't bring her home?” Caden said sadly.

“No bub, but we will find your sister soon, I promise.” Jack told him, lifting him into his arms as Caden's bottom lip began to tremble again.

As they moved down the hall Claire appeared from the kitchen, he face almost as blotchy as Caden, they knew she loved the twins as if they were her own. Claire's face dropped even more when she saw that Eloise wasn't with them. She moved silent to them and hugged them both before speaking.

“I'm so sorry, any news at all yet?”

“Where are my parents?” Ianto asked.

“Living room, both of them are trying desperately to keep a hold of their emotions for Caden's sake.”

“Not much to tell, but we'll tell you all together.” Jack told her as Ianto rushed to the living room.

“Mam, da.” Was all Ianto could get out when he saw his parents, he knew if he said any more he would break down and didn't want to in front of Caden who was close behind in Jack's arms.

Ianto mum got straight up for the sofa where she was sitting and pulled her son into a hug, as she held him tight he felt like a child himself again and just let her comfort him. He didn't let go until he knew he had got his emotions under control again, pulling from her embrace he kissed her softly on the cheek and turned to see Jack put Caden down, who ran straight to his grandfather and climbed on his knee. Jack moved to Ianto and took his hand as they sat on the sofa, with Carys and Claire.

“Damien found them on the CCTV, not far from the school. Eloise and the ... woman ... that took her. She was putting her into a car, we couldn't see the whole number plate but we have Andy, a friend in the police working on finding out who owns the car from what we do know.” Jack told them, his voice cracking a little.

“So, you might get her back really soon?” Alan asked hopefully.

“I hope so da, I really do.” Ianto replied.

“Did you watch the news report?” Carys asked.

“Yeah, it might actually help with finding Eloise, but we need to stop them finding out more about us and Torchwood. We're going to stay away from work until Eloise is found if possible, but they can contact us if anything that requires our help comes up and we'll just have to be careful.” Jack sighed.

“So, we sit tight and wait for this Andy to get in contact?”

“Yep, you are going to stay aren't you?” Ianto asked, looking at his mum and then his dad.

“We've booked into a hotel, you don't have the room for us here but it's not far.” Carys replied.

“You can have our room, we'll sleep here on the sofa.” Jack told them.

“No, it's already decided.” Carys told them firmly.

“Thanks mam.” Ianto tried to smile but barely succeeded.

“What will you do tomorrow if Andy doesn't come up with anything?”

“Haven't thought that far ahead Alan to be honest, trying not to think that this won't be over by then.” Jack replied.

“Do you have pictures of this woman? Maybe someone at the school will recognise her?” Alan suggested.

“You're right da, if we don't hear anything by the morning maybe we should go to the school and ask around, print off the CCTV pic of her Jack.”

“Can't hurt.” Jack nodded slowly.

“I think this little man needs to go to bed.” Alan suggested, Caden was dozing in his arms.

“Yep, I'll take him up.” Ianto got up from the sofa and moved to take him from his fathers arms.

“We should go and check into our hotel, call us the minute you hear anything but we will be back in the morning whatever happens.” Carys told them as she and Alan got to their feet.

Carys gave both Ianto and Caden a kiss on the cheek and then turned to Jack, who was now also standing and took the chance to give him a hug, kissing him on the cheek also before letting go. Claire offered to walk them to the door as Jack and Ianto headed up stairs with Caden, who was already in his pyjamas.

“I'll help them in any way they need.” Claire told Ianto's parents as they slipped on their coats.

“Make sure they do the same for you too love, you're part of this family too.” Carys told her, squeezing her hand as they left. “See you tomorrow.”

“Bye.” Claire responded as she closed the door behind them.

Claire rested her back against the hall wall, she knew this was even worse for them than it was for her but she was feeling devastated. She was wondering if past events would come back to haunt them, she kept thinking about when the twins were babies and the whole family had been kidnapped. She hoped desperately that this wouldn't cause even more problems, problems that Ianto had taken a long time to get over then.

Upstairs Jack and Ianto slipped Caden into his bed, both of them kissing his brow as he snuggled under his duvet. As they moved to leave the room they couldn't help but stop and look at Eloise's empty bed, they reached for each others hands as they quietly left the room and headed for their own. It was still early evening but they just wanted to be alone, neither of them bothered to undress as if they wanted to be ready if anything came up but just lay on top of the bed and moved into each others arms.

“What if she was taken by people that ... want to hurt her?” Ianto asked quietly.

“No, I won't let myself believe that. Whoever took her I'm sure picked her because she's just perfect, not that that's any comfort but I can't think of her being hurt in any way because then I would just fall apart completely.”

“Good, 'cos I want to believe no one's hurting her too.”

“I have every faith in Andy, he's always been a good friend to us and now he's a DI he can help even more.”

“Yep, with his help our daughter will be back with us before we know it.” Ianto replied, feeling a little more hopeful.

“We should try and get some sleep.” Jack told him, kissing his brow.

“Not sure I will be able to, my mind won't stop whirling.”

“Mine too, but we should try.”

Ianto nodded. “Love you.”

“Love you too beautiful.”

Jack kissed him softly on the lips, his lips lingering, not wanting to break the comforting contact. Ianto sighed against his lips and kissed him back, deepening it slightly as they both took comfort in each other. They lay there for a long time, just holding each other and kissing until eventually they dozed into uneasy sleep. When Jack's mobile rang and vibrated in his pocket some hours later in the early hours of the morning they were both awake instantly, Jack had it out of his pocket in seconds and answered instantly when the display told him it was Andy.

“Andy, have you found her?” Jack asked, his voice desperate.

“We have a name and address for the woman in the CCTV, we're headed there now.”

“Tell me Andy, we'll meet you there.”

“Not sure that's a good idea Jack.”

“This is our daughter Andy, we should be there.” Jack's voice growled back.

“Fine, but you stay back, okay?”

“Promise.”

Andy gave them the address of the house, the other side of Cardiff in one of the more affluent areas, both Jack and Ianto were ready to leave minutes later after freshening themselves up and headed out in their own car, not wanting to draw attention with the SUV.

TBC


	10. Chapter 10

They reached the address around the same time as the police, there were no sirens to alert the occupants of the house of their arrival. Jack and Ianto climbed from their car as Andy headed towards them, despite his climb through the ranks they would forever see him as PC Andy and it always seemed a little odd even now to see him out of his uniform and wearing his now trademark suits that would rival Ianto's if he saw fit to spend more money on them.

“You two, stay here out the way.” Andy told them sternly as armed uniformed officers prepared to advance on the house.

“They will be careful won't they? If Eloise is in there, she could get hurt if they shoot.” Ianto said nervous for their child.

“Don't worry, we've briefed them fully, told them not to do anything that could cause the child harm.” Andy replied, his voice calm and reassuring.

“Thanks Andy, please, go get her back for us.” Jack pleaded unashamedly.

“If she's there, then we will bring her back to you.” Andy told them as he moved back towards his men.

As they advanced in the dark towards the house Jack wrapped his arms around Ianto's waist, he so desperately wanted to run after them and find their daughter himself but he knew to let Andy and his men do their job, that he and Ianto were too emotional at the moment and could act irrationally and might make things worse. Ianto welcomed Jack's embrace, he knew what Jack was thinking, he knew him too well and held him tight as the officers first tried knocking on the door to see if someone would answer.

When it became obvious a few minutes later that no one was going to come to the door Andy gave the order for them to break it down, with in moments the door was swinging on it's hinges and the officers were swarming through the house, Jack and Ianto stood silently as the raid ran it's course with their hopes becoming more and more dashed by each minute that past. When Andy walked out alone less than fifteen minutes later they knew that she wasn't there, he walked over to them with a look of sadness on his face.

“Empty, someone was living there but they've gone now. Looks like they packed hurriedly, drawers and wardrobe hanging open and some stuff still left in them.”

“Shit, she could have taken her anywhere.” Ianto swore angrily.

“I'm going to look deeper into this woman's past, one of the bedrooms was obviously a child's room, a small child. I have a niggling feeling I've heard her name before somewhere and I need to find out why, go home and I'll contact you as soon as I find out anything.” Andy told them.

“We can't just sit around doing nothing Andy, we have to find her.” Jack replied.

“It's early still, get some rest and then maybe see if anyone at the school recognises her picture maybe?” Andy suggested.

Ianto nodded. “We already thought of that.”

“You might find out more faster than I do, her name is Rebecca Downs. See if any of the parents know her, if she was a friend, does she have kids of her own, you know the drill.”

“Okay, thanks Andy.” Jack told him as they got back into their car, hopes almost completely shattered and headed back home.

The sun was just beginning to rise as they reached their house, it was almost six in the morning and neither of them could face trying to get maybe another couple if hours sleep. Letting themselves in they we're surprised to see a light on in the kitchen, Claire was always up early. They could smell toast and coffee, Ianto had let Claire into his coffee making secret a couple of years ago and even he would admit it was almost as good as his own.

She must have heard them come in as as soon as they entered the kitchen they were both presented with a steaming cup of coffee which they both sipped appreciatively before anyone spoke.

“We thought the police had found her, but if they were there they were long gone.” Jack told Claire sadly.

“So what now?”

“Andy's going to try and find out anything else he can about the woman and Jack and I are going to take print outs from the CCTV to the school and see if anyone knew her.”

“Can I do anything?” Claire asked.

“Just take care of Caden for us, he needs us as much as we need him but we need to find his sister.”

“Of course, now, eat.” She told them, placing toast in front of them.

They both looked like they were about to protest until they saw the look on her face and each chose a slice to butter, Claire not moving until they had both polished off two slices and more coffee and then when to get herself washed and dressed for when Caden awoke. There was no way Caden was going to school that day, so she needed to plan things to keep him busy.

After finishing off in the kitchen they headed to their computer and logged into the Torchwood system, finding the CCTV images Ianto printed two different stills onto a few dozen pieces of paper. While Ianto finished this Jack went and freshened up and changed his clothes, then Ianto before heading out the door around 8.30am towards the school. Neither of them wanted to go back to the scene of their daughters disappearance but they knew they had to do it, the playground was full of parents when they arrived.

Taking a deep breath split up and began to make their way around the playground talking to the parents. Most people shrugged their shoulders, told them they didn't know her and that they hoped they found their daughter soon. A couple said they thought she looked familiar but weren't sure if it was from a school or if it was somewhere else, they also wished them luck on finding Eloise soon. As soon as Jenny spotted Ianto when she walked into the playground she went straight over to him, he smiled sadly at her.

“I heard about your little girl, any news?” She asked softly.

“Not really all we know is her name, Rebecca Downs and a CCTV picture of her.” Ianto showed her the pictures.

“No, I don't recognise her.” Jenny said shaking her head.

“Police traced her address early this morning but she was gone.” Ianto replied sadly.

“I'm so sorry.” She placed her hand on his arm as if trying to comfort him. “Give me one of the pictures, if I find anything out I'll call you.”

“Thanks Jenny.” Ianto gave her his card, not even thinking about the Torchwood logo on the front.

“So, it is true, you work for Torchwood?” She asked.

Ianto groaned. “Yep, but please, please don't ask me anything.”

“Okay, look I meant it, if I find out anything I will call.”

“Ianto.” Jack's voice called out over the noise of the playground.

“Gotta go, thanks again.” He told her before jogging over to Jack's side.

“This lady thinks she recognises her from another school.” He introduced Ianto before continuing. “Her daughter used to go to one the other side of Cardiff until they moved, anyway, she's sure this woman had a daughter a little older than Eloise but that something happened to her, the child that is.”

“What do you mean, something happened?” Ianto asked her.

“There were rumours like there always are, but I think it turned out she was killed in a car crash.”

“Fuck!” Ianto exclaimed, then muttered. “Sorry.” To the parents who turned and glared at him.

They thanked the woman for her help and walked from the playground and back towards their house.

“We need to get this information to Andy, I think she took our little girl to replace her own.” Jack told him.

“What the hell makes her think she can help herself to someone else's child?!” Ianto fumed.

“She's obviously not thinking straight, the death of a child is devastating.” Jack replied sadly. “She's probably still grieving and I wouldn't be surprised if she was depressed, depression makes people act out of character.”

Ianto looked down at his feet. “Yep.”

Jack pulled Ianto to a halt and tilted his chin up with his fingers and kissed him softly. “Hey, I know you still get upset over what happened all those years ago and how you acted but I've never blamed you, you know that.”

“I worry more about it happening again, the depression.” Ianto had never admitted that to Jack before.

“Never if I have my way, but if it did then I would be here for you.”

Ianto looked deep into Jack's eyes before kissing him tenderly, not caring that they were in the middle of their street and anyone could see them. But he might not have done if he had spotted the man with the camera, hiding himself behind the large oak tree on the other side of the road.

TBC


	11. Chapter 11

As soon as they got home Jack called Andy and passed on what the woman at the school had told them, as soon as they mentioned that Rebecca Downs may have lost her child in a car accident he knew where he had heard the name before. It seemed that he husband had been driving them back from a kids birthday party, he just went to collect them and she didn't know he had been drinking. On the way home he had lost control of the car killing their daughter outright and he died a couple of hours later from his injuries Rebecca escaped miraculously with just whiplash, cuts and bruises.

“I think she took Eloise to replace her daughter.” Jack told him.

“Very possibly, but for whatever reason she did, we will find her Jack.” Andy told him.

“What should we do now?”

“I think you should give a press conference, just to appeal to the public to be aware that she is missing and show her photograph, someone somewhere might see her.”

“Oh Andy, I don't know, the press have already sussed out that we work for Torchwood, they'll just use it as an excuse to grill us about that.”

“We won't let them Jack, they will be told in advance that this is about Eloise being missing and nothing else, any other questions will be ignore or get the response of 'no comment'.

“I'll have to talk to Ianto first, we need to discuss this between us.”

“Sure Jack, but if you want to do it just let me know and I'll set it all up.”

“Thanks Andy.”

Once Jack cut the call he went to find Ianto who had gone to see his parents, who had arrived while they were out. They were all in the kitchen, Claire had taken Caden out for a walk to the park to give him some fresh air and try and take his mind off his sister for a little while as he kept crying for her understandably.

“Coffee?” Ianto asked as Jack entered the room.

“Thanks, Andy remembers where he's heard Rebecca's name now. He wants us to give a press conference, to just make an appeal to the public about Eloise and show her photograph.”

“Is that a good idea?” Asked Carys.

“Andy thinks so, Ianto?”

“I don't know, I mean it could get out of hand if they brought up anything to do with Torchwood, or the twins 'mother'.”

“They would be briefed before hand that any questions other than about Eloise would be unacceptable.”

“Might help find her though?” Alan asked.

“Yeah, Andy said someone might recognise her from her picture.”

“I think we should think about it a little longer first, make sure we really want to do this.” Ianto told Jack.

“Of course.” Jack replied moving closer to Ianto and taking his hand in his own.

“Right, your da and I are going out for some food, the cupboards are bare and you need to keep your strength up.” Carys told them.

“Mam, you don't have to do that, there's plenty of food in the house.” Ianto told her.

“No arguing, we're doing it.” She told him with a look that told him not to even bother trying to talk her out of it.

“Thanks Carys.” Jack told her, squeezing Ianto's hand a little.

Once Carys and Alan left the house seemed far to empty and quiet, they wandered into the living room and switched on the TV. As the screen came to life they found themselves looking at a picture of themselves kissing outside only an hour or so before, both of them stunned as the news reporter told the viewers that this was the parents of the missing girl acting like nothing was wrong.

“I'm going to fucking kill whoever took that picture.” Ianto growled, switching off the TV in anger.

“They must have been watching us, probably a freelance photographer out to make some cash.”

Ianto went to storm outside, Jack ran after him and stopped him before he got to the door.

“Don't do it, we can't do anything to turn the public against us.”

“But the bastard is using that pic that way, to try and make out we don't care our daughter is missing.”

“Even more reason to do this press conference maybe, get our side over before someone else tries to discredit us as parents?” Jack suggested.

“Fine, but whoever it is will not get away with it.” Ianto fumed.

“No, he won't but we have to be sneaky in the way we deal with him. Might take a day or so but we'll come up with something to get him out of our lives.”

“Promise?”

“Yeah, should I call Andy, get him to set up the press conference?”

Ianto nodded. “Yeah, lets get it over with.”

Ianto waited the few minutes while Jack called Andy and asked him to set it up, by the time Jack got off the phone he worked out for himself that Andy was going to arrange it for the afternoon on the following day and that Andy and his officers were doing everything in their power to try and find the missing woman and their daughter.

Jack slipped his mobile into his pocket and pulled Ianto into his arms and held him tight as Ianto's arms wound around his waist, he didn't tell Ianto that Andy had told him they needed to do as much as possible as soon as possible as the chances of finding their daughter lessened the longer she was missing. He wish Andy hadn't told him, but it made him even more determined to have the press conference, which would be broadcast throughout the whole of the UK and not just Wales.

“I feel useless.” Ianto murmured into Jack's chest.

“Hey, we found out more that the police about that woman earlier and I think that if she did take her to replace her own daughter she will be treating her well.”

“No excuse for taking her though.”

“No, and when we find her she will get the treatment she needs and will be punished accordingly.” Jack told him.

“See, this is why I love you, you know the right things to say all the time.”

“Sometimes.” Jack shrugged.

Ianto pulled away slightly and looked at Jack, kissing him softly on the lips and looking into his eyes before kissing him again a little deeper and didn't pull apart even when they heard the front door opened until Caden came running into the room and grabbed them both by the legs. They knew whatever happened, however long it took to find Eloise they had to keep themselves together for Caden. If they feel apart, then he would follow.

Claire wasn't far behind. “I think there was someone following us with a camera when we came home.”

“Did you see the bastard?” Ianto asked, followed by Jack explaining what had been on the TV news.

“No, but I just had the feeling we were being watched and I was sure I could see light reflecting off something, like a lens a couple of times.” Claire told them.

“Have we got any retcon here?” Jack asked Ianto.

“Yep ... you wouldn't?”

“Oh yes I would, he'll wake up thinking he's seven by the time I've finished with him. Claire, can you see him out there?” Jack replied.

Claire looked out the window, careful not to disturb the net curtains and she spotted him trying to hide behind a tree. “Yes, he's out there.”

“Go and offer him an exclusive.” Jack told her, allowing a small smile to cross his lips.

“Can't I just thump him?” Ianto asked.

“I'm not ruling that out either.” Jack told him as Claire left the room and the house.

TBC


	12. Chapter 12

They watched through the window as Claire ran across the road and accosted the man with the camera before he had a chance to react, there was a small exchange of words before they crossed the road again together. By the time they entered the house Ianto had started brewing coffee, a smell that almost no one could resist. Claire told them she was going to take Caden out again, she knew instinctively they should leave the house.

“So, no more hanging about watching us, what will you give us for an exclusive?” Jack asked, playing up the photographers view that they were bad parents.

“Well, depends on what the papers will pay, I reckon I could get maybe thirty thousand out of them.”

“Is that all?” Scoffed Jack. “I think you should leave.”

“Okay fifty, final offer.”

Jack couldn't believe how easily the guy caved, he must have been offered much more for a story by someone.

“Deal.” Jack told him, desperately trying to not react to the smarmy little man in the way he wanted to.

“So, what do you want to know?” Ianto asked, keeping his fisted hands in his lap.

“Everything, who's the child's real mother, could she have snatched her back? If so why not take the boy too? Surely it's not right for two gay men to be bringing up small children? Do you often have public displays of affection like this morning? Are you actually missing your daughter? So, I hear you work for Torchwood, is this true? Do you really catch aliens or is it just a front for something else?” He rambled the questions out at top speed.

It was all they could do to not kill him, both of them actually relieved that their guns were locked away in their bedroom.

“Coffee before we start?” Jack asked as politely as possible.

“Lovely, thanks.” The guy smiled.

Ianto got to his feet, suppressing the urge to hit the man as he walked past him to the kitchen. Jack offered the man a seat in the armchair as Ianto poured the coffee's, adding a very large dose of retcon to one mug as directed by Jack and feeling no guilt whatsoever about doing so. Carrying them carefully through to the living room he handed the mug to the man, he sipped it and declared it the best coffee he had ever tasted.

“So, to your questions.” Jack began. “You want the truth?”

“Of course.” He replied, pulling out his writing pad.

“Good, okay, the kids don't have a mother, I'm from the future and I carried them myself.”

“You're kidding me?” He spluttered.

“Completely true.” Ianto told him. “We're hoping to have more.”

“No luck yet though.” Jack added, patting his flat stomach.

“Even so, some people would think it wrong for two gay men to be raising children?”

“Only those who are homophobes and bigots, we are bringing our children up to be themselves, whether they are gay or straight is in their gene's. And for the record we're not gay, Ianto is bisexual and I'm omni sexual but we fell in love and that's all that matters.”

“Omni sexual?” The guy asked confused.

“Means at one time he would have shagged anything, human, male or female or alien.” Ianto informed him.

“You've shagged aliens?” He looked disgusted.

“Yeah, not in a very long time though.” Jack admitted.

“That's just ... disgusting!”

“Don't knock it till you've tried it!” Jack told him, allowing himself to enjoy what they were doing.

“So, you work for Torchwood then, the rumours are correct?”

“We both do, it's how we met actually.” Jack told him.

“Yep, I seduced him into a job so I could hide my cyberwoman girlfriend in the workplace.” Ianto added, getting in on the act.

“One of those ghost shift things?”

“Yep.”

“Oh this is all just a load of sci-fi rubbish you're feeding me, isn't it?” He said, shoving the writing pad back in his pocket.

“No, all completely true.” Jack told him. “Let us continue.”

“So.” He said as he pulled the pad out again. “Are you doing this interview to help get your daughter back or for the money?” He sneered.

“Our daughter, though of course the money would be handy.” Ianto told him, hoping he sounded convincing.

“I knew it, is it a set up, someone you know has taken her?” He asked as he downed the last of his coffee.

“You love for us to say yes, wouldn't you?” Ianto asked, getting to his feet.

“Well, it would make a great story, of course you'd not see any of the money as you'd be in prison.”

“You really are a slimy bastard, your kind should be shot.” Jack told him, trying to keep an eye on Ianto who looked like he might do something before he could stop him.

“I just write what people want to read.”

“Or want to believe.” Jack growled.

That's when it happened, much to fast for Jack to stop. Ianto moved fast, before the guy knew what was coming Ianto's fist his him hard in the face, three times in succession as he let out a string of expletives in both English and Welsh, by the time Jack got to him the reporters face was a bloody mess. His lip was split and he was going to have at least one black eye. Jack grabbed him from behind, pulling him away and holding him tight till he stopped struggling and sobbed into Jack's shoulder.

Jack looked at the man, he looked like he was going to pass out but it was probably the retcon kicking in. “Ianto, it's okay.”

“No, it's not. I shouldn't have done that.”

“You took out your pent up frustration and anger out on him, he was a slimy git and if you hadn't done it you might have had to pull me off of him.”

“Doesn't make it right.”

“No, but it's done now. The amount of retcon we gave him means he will wake up thinking he's still at high school, we'll get him taken to hospital.” Jack told him.

“We can't take him, someone will recognise us.”

“True, look we'll get Damien and Gwen to come, they can dump him in the park and then alert the police anonymously, we can pass it off as a mugging.”

“Phone them, get him out of here.” Ianto told him, then left the room and went upstairs.

Jack arranged for them to come as soon as possible, once he gave them an explanation agreed to what Jack suggested they drove the car up the drive and as close to the house as possible and put the man in the back before heading off towards the park. As Jack watched them drive away he felt a little guilty for what they were doing to the man but it was done now and they couldn't reverse it.

Closing the door once they were out of sight Jack made his way upstairs, he found Ianto lying on the bed staring blankly up at the ceiling, Jack climbed on beside him.

“You okay?” Jack asked quietly.

“No really, but as least I didn't kill someone this time.”

“Don't do this Ianto, don't fall apart on me.”

“Why Jack, why do I do these things?”

“To protect your family, he's going to be fine. Gwen and Damien are taking care of it.”

“I never thought I'd react like that again, never.”

“You did it for love, it's not something you do all the time, no one will know or blame you.”

“You know.” Ianto replied, turning his head to look at him at last.

“And you have to believe it doesn't make me think any less of you.” Jack told him. “In fact it confirms just how much I love you, and you love me and the twins.”

“Really?”

“Yeah.” Jack pulled him close and kissed him softly.

TBC


	13. Chapter 13

Ianto moaned as Jack's lips left his and captured them again with his own, he needed to feel loved. And to show Jack how much he loved him. Parting Jack's lips with his own he teased them with his tongue before sliding it into Jack's mouth, stroking it over Jack's. The kiss was full of love and tenderness not passion or lust, as Jack's arms went around him he pushed him over onto his back before pulling back from the kiss and moving to lay on top of him.

“I love you cariad.” Ianto told him, his eyes glistening with unshed tears.

“I know.” Jack replied, brushing away the single tear that escaped down Ianto's cheek.

Jack slid his hand behind Ianto's neck and pulled him back down, kissing him as his hands moved over Ianto's back suddenly needing to feel the need of being more intimate with his lover and there was no mistaking the hardness that was against his hip as the kiss began to get more passionate.

Ianto pulled Jack's shirt and t shirt from the waistband of his trousers and slid his hand over the clothing, sliding it over Jack's chest. A fleeting thought crossed his mind that they shouldn't be doing this, that they should be concentrating on finding their daughter but he needed this.

Jack moaned softly into the kiss as Ianto's fingers found his nipple, the flat of his thumb brushing over it and causing it to become as hard peak before his hand trailed over Jack's smooth chest and found the other one, already hard in anticipation for his touch. Ianto broke the kiss and looked into Jack's eyes, as if asking permission to continue.

“Make love to me Ianto.” Jack told him quietly. “I need you.”

Ianto knelt up and he pulled his t shirt off over his head as Jack began to unbutton his shirt, both of them not taking their eyes off each other as they undressed knowing this was about comforting each other and reassuring each other that everything was going to be okay.

Once they were both naked they settled back into their previous position, Ianto laying on Jack, his legs between his and they resumed their kissing. Jack's hands slid over Ianto's back before wrapping tightly around him and pulling him as close as possible.

When Ianto's mouth left his he moaned a little at the loss, Ianto's lips kissed his across his jaw before moving to his ear and he whispered in it. “I'll always love you” before kissing his way down Jack's neck and sucking on the sensitive skin where it met his shoulder making Jack groan softly in pleasure.

He added a couple more love bites before kissing along Jack's collar bone and then down his chest till his mouth found a nipple, the tip of his tongue teasing the still hard peak before sucking it into his mouth and sucking on it as his teeth grazed it gently, Jack's back arching off the bed a little as he blew cool air over the wet skin.

Ianto's hand teased the other nipple, rubbing and pinching it as he kissed down Jack's torso, over his chest and to his stomach where he dipped his tongue into Jack's belly button knowing how much he loved it as Jack writhed beneath him. Jack's hand on his head, his fingers tangling in his hair as little tendrils of pleasure shot through his body.

Trailing his tongue from Jack's belly button he turned his attention to the flat plains of Jack's stomach, placing kisses on every single inch of it and nibbling the taut skin as he moved lower and lower towards Jack's crotch.

Ignoring Jack's cock he kissed the juncture where his groin met the top of his thigh before leaving a wet trail with his tongue along the crease and then down Jack's thigh not stopping till he reached his knee, kissing the back of it before kissing his way back up to his crotch.

Looking up he saw Jack's face, eyes closed and his lips slightly parted as he panted softly. Ianto's hand moved to Jack's balls, cupping them before rolling them between his fingers as he began to kiss his way up the length of Jack's cock.

Tongue snaking out between his lips he dipped it into the slit of Jack's cock, tasting his essence as Jack resumed his grip on Ianto's hair, tugging slightly as he canted his lips up to Ianto's mouth. Ianto took the head of Jack's cock into his mouth and began to suck slowly but firmly as Jack tried to encourage him to take more into his mouth buy putting pressure on the top of his head.

Ianto resisted, keeping his attention firmly on just the head, his tongue tasting every inch of it as he sucked, Jack groaning loudly in frustration. He released Jack's balls and slid his hand backwards, his fingers moving between the crack of Jack's arse till he found the tight hole and began to tease it with the tips of his fingers.

“Ianto please.” Jack was panting loudly now, his voice hitching and full of emotion.

Letting Jack's cock slip from his mouth he looked up at him, fingers still teasing the tight muscles of Jack's hole as he reached for the lube on the bedside table and then squeezed some over his fingers and Jack's body before drizzling it over his own cock. Putting the lube down he used his now free hand to spread the lube over his cock as he slid a finger deep inside Jack's arse.

One hand slowly stroking his own cock while the other slipped a second finger into Jack, fucking him with his fingers as he prepared him, stretched him ready for his cock as Jack rolled his hips and gasped as Ianto's fingers found his prostate.

“Ready?” Ianto asked, sliding his fingers from Jack's body and placing the head of his cock against his arsehole.

“Do it, please, I need you.”

Ianto slid into him as Jack wound his legs around him, his feet digging into Ianto's arse and he pulled him in deeper and deeper. A moan of please escaped Ianto's lips as he sank ball deep inside Jack, not moving as he revelled in the hot tightness of his channel for a moment or so till Jack's arms wrapped around him and pulled him down so their bodies were flush.

As their lips met Ianto began moving slowly and deeply, not wanting it to end to fast. Both of them totally lost in each other, both of them just being there for each other as slowly their movements began to get faster and faster, their kisses more desperate and uncoordinated as their breathing became ragged.

Jack moved his hand between their bodies and wrapped it around his cock, pumping it in time with their thrusts which were now becoming fast and furious. Shouting Ianto's name as he came between their bodies, holding on tightly to Ianto as he kept fucking him through his orgasm until Ianto could hold back no longer, the pulsating, clenching muscles of Jack's arse causing him to shoot his own come inside his lover.

Neither of them moved, they lay there kissing till way past the moment when their bodies stopped shuddering, both of them not wanting to face the real world again. They must have dozed off as they were woken some time later by the sound of people entering the house, voices of Ianto's parents as they returned a long time after they had left to go shopping. After just one more long leisurely kiss they cleaned themselves up as best they could without showering, dressed and headed back downstairs.

TBC


	14. Chapter 14

Ianto's parents seemed to have bought enough food to feed and army and his mum told him she was cooking dinner for them that evening, neither of them had the emotional strength to argue since coming down from the bedroom. They felt a little guilty about what they had done but they both knew they had needed the comfort it had provided them with. Noticing the answer phone light blinking, informing them they had two messages Jack played them.

The first was from Claire, telling them she had taken Caden to the cinema to see a new Disney movie in the hope it would take his mind off his sister for a little while and that they would be home by tea time, the second was from Andy. He told them that he had arranged for the press conference the following afternoon and that the twins school had made their hall available for them to use and it was to be at 1pm. While Ianto disappeared back upstairs to shower Jack called Andy back.

“Andy, hi we got your message.”

“How you doing Jack?”

“Okay, you know, just wanted to thank you for organising this. You think it really well help?”

“You've nothing to lose Jack, someone might recognise her from her picture.”

“Andy promise me that you'll be there, I just have a feeling this might turn personal.”

“I will be there, with some of my men. No one has the right to hassle you over Torchwood or your and Ianto's relationship, this is all about finding Eloise and if they do just leave and we will deal with them.”

“Thanks Andy, we owe you one.”

“Anything Jack, anything I can do to help you just ask. We're trying to trace her car but she seems to have vanished completely, but we will find her Jack, believe me.”

Jack thanked him again and waited for Ianto to reappear before going and getting a shower himself, Ianto's parents weren't daft, especially his mum and she'd know exactly what they had been doing and they both wanted to get rid of the lingering tell tale signs of them having had sex before Claire returned home with Caden.

Jack and Ianto spent the remainder of the afternoon curled up together on the sofa while Ianto's parents took over the kitchen, they both felt kind of useless and just wanted to be near each other, watching the clock and awaiting Caden's return, wanting their son home. When Claire and Caden got back, just before dinner was ready they pulled him between them on the sofa and asked him about the film, he happily told them how much he enjoyed it but there was no mistaking the sadness still there, he was missing his sister.

Once dinner was eaten and cleared away both Jack and Ianto gave a sleepy Caden his bath and got him ready for bed, reading him a short story till he fell asleep trying not to dwell on Eloise's empty bed as they made their way back downstairs. Claire had excused herself and gone to bed early, also tired from the stress of the day and Ianto's parents left a little later to go back to their hotel, wanting to give them some space but making it clear they should contact them if they needed them for anything.

The TV was on but neither of them were really watching it as they were lost in their own thoughts, they lay stretched out on the sofa just holding each other close as Jack spooned against Ianto's back, they both jumped a little when the doorbell rang.

“I'll go.” Ianto said, pulling out of Jack's embrace thinking if it was someone trying to sell them something he wasn't going to be happy.

Take a calming breath he opened the door, looked at the couple on the door step and let a small tired smile play on his lips.

“Thought you might need some support.” Ben smiled sadly at him. “We saw the news.”

“Ben, Sandy, so good to see you, come in.” Ianto told him, stepping aside.

Once inside the door Ben gave Ianto a hug, followed by Sandy and he led them through to the living room. As they walked through the door Jack sat himself up and stood and then got greeted the same way that Ianto had, Ianto offered them a seat and coffee and then went to make it. Reaching the kitchen he realised that Ben had followed him.

“How are you, really?” Ben asked as Ianto turned on the coffee machine.

“Not good, I know it hasn't been long but I, we miss her so much.”

“No news at all?”

“The police traced her address but she had already gone, this woman, Rebecca, her daughter was killed in a car crash and the police think they took Eloise to replace her.”

“Oh Ianto, I'm so sorry mate.”

“What if they never find her Ben? What if this woman didn't take her for that reason? What if she abuses her, hurts her ...” He couldn't finish his sentence, his emotions taking over as a tear rolled down his cheek.

Ben put a comforting hand on Ianto's arm.

“You have to stay positive Ianto, you can't fall apart for your sake, or Jack and Caden's. Or Claire's for that matter, she loves those kids as much as you do. You've done so well these last few years getting over your depression, I don't know what caused it but you don't want to let it overtake you again, do you?”

“That's part of the problem, what's happening now brings back memories of what happened then. I don't want to go into details but all of us, Jack, me and the twins were all kidnapped by a lunatic and ...” Ianto broke off not wanting to think about what had happened to he and Jack.

“I won't probe Ianto, it's obviously very painful for you. Have you told Jack this?”

“No, I don't want to add more worry for him on top of this, finding Eloise is the priority at the moment.”

“Right, well I'm not going to take no for an answer, anytime you need to talk you call me. I still think you should tell Jack, he's probably thinking the same kind of things but I understand your reasons. But you can't bottle it up, promise me you will call me?”

Ianto nodded. “Thanks Ben.”

“No problem mate.”

Ianto gave him a quick hug, brushed the tear from his cheek and finished making the coffees, Ben helping him carry them through to the others.

TBC


	15. Chapter 15

The rest of the evening moved a little awkwardly, neither couple wanting to really talk about Eloise. Jack and Ianto because they didn't want to fall apart in front of their friends and Ben and Sandy because they were there to try and well, just be them for them if they wanted to talk. They sidetracked the subject by talking about anything but for a couple of hours and then made the decision to leave, they could see that Jack and Ianto needed to just be together.

After seeing them to the door with promises of calling them if they needed them for anything they made their way up to bed, all they wanted to do was just curl up together and wait for news. As well as Andy they knew that the rest of the team were doing everything they could to trace the woman's car and until then there wasn't much they could do.

Neither of them got much sleep that night, if any as they waited for the phone to ring, which never happened. When Caden appeared in their room early the next morning in tears and telling them he wanted Ellie back they cuddled him in bed between them knowing exactly how he felt and did their best to reassure him that would would get his sister back soon as they both tried hard not to to cry along with him.

It was now the third day of her missing and they were finding it so hard to watch Caden and not have their daughter there as well, leaving him with Claire after he had eaten breakfast they both dressed and tried to prepare themselves for the press conference in a few hours. Neither of them had been able to face breakfast despite Claire's coaxing but they had consumed a large amount of coffee since they had got out of bed.

“What do we say?” Ianto asked.

“We just start at the beginning, tell them what we know that she was taken by Rebecca Downs and they will show both pictures of her and Eloise and we ask that is anyone sees them or thinks they saw anything on the day she was taken gets in touch with the police.”

“Shouldn't we give a number for them to get in touch with us?”

Jack shook his head. “Andy said there will probably be a lot of crank calls, people who haven't actually seen anything but wanting to get in on the act.”

“Why would they do that?”

“Apparently it always happens, seems some people like the drama of it all.” Jack shrugged. “But they are used to things like this, know how to sort out the real calls from the hoax ones.”

“And then what?” Ianto asked.

“We just hope and pray that someone has seen something.”

“And we just wait around feeling useless while our daughter is out there somewhere having who knows what done to her?” Ianto raised his voice in frustration.

Jack moved closer to him, taking his hands in his own. “What else can we do? This isn't aliens, it's not the rift, the police are the experts in this field and we have to trust them to find our daughter. Hell, we have the rest of the team following up on the same leads but we can't make anything happen just because we want to.” Jack said quietly.

“I just want her back Jack, I need to know that she's not being hurt.”

“Ianto, we can't think like that, we have to believe this woman is taking care of her as if she is her own daughter.”

“I'm scared for her Jack, it's like ... it's like when we were taken by UNIT.” He forced himself to tell Jack.

“Oh Ianto.” Jack released his hands and wrapped his arms around him tight, holding him as close a possible. “This is nothing like that, we were kidnapped by a sadistic bastard. Yes, she's been kidnapped but by a woman whose still suffering with the grief of losing her own daughter.”

“Then how can she cause us the same pain?”

“She's not thinking about us, only her needs. We will find her, she will be healthy, unharmed and well looked after.” Jack told him, trying to make it sound as convincing to himself as well as to Ianto.

“She better Jack, she better.” Ianto replied, burying his head in Jack's shoulder and breathing in his scent knowing it would give him a little comfort.

“Daddy, Dada.” Caden called as he ran in the room holding a piece of paper.

They pulled apart, crouching down to his level as he got to them.

“What's that bub?” Jack asked him.

“Picture.” He told them excitedly, holding it up so they could see it.

It was a picture of his family in stick people, but still obvious which stick person was who and in the middle was a birthday cake along with five candles on the top and in the corner was a picture of what looked like a bike and in the the other corner what appeared to be a pram.

“That's you daddy, that's dada.” He said pointing them out. “That's me and that's Ellie.” He said proudly.

“And this is a bike, can I have a bike for my birthday daddy? And Ellie wants a pram for her dolly.”

“You want a big boys bike, with two wheels?” Ianto asked him.

“Yeah, I'll be five, and that's big.” He told him proudly.

“And you think Eloise wants a pram for her dolls?” Jack asked.

“I know she does, she told me!” He stated.

Ianto pulled Caden into his arms. “Sure she did bub, if that's what she wants, that's what we'll get her.”

“Will she be home for our birthday? She said she wants to come home.” Caden told them.

“Did you have a dream about Eloise?” Jack asked when Ianto gave him a strange look.

“No.” He shook his head. “She told me, she spoke to me in my head while I was drawing.”

“Did she say where she was?” Jack asked him softly.

“No, but she wasn't there for long, she had to go. Can I go and draw some more now?”

“Sure.” Ianto told him, letting his leave his arms.

“What was that all about?” He said to Jack.

“Some people say twins have some kind of connection, maybe them being apart has strengthened it. Whatever it is it's made Caden happier, we can't push this but maybe he will help us find his sister.” Jack replied. “It might have just been his imagination, but who knows.”

“Telepathy?”

“It's more common in people in the 51st century to have it, I never really thought much about it and they are half mine with my genes, perhaps the fact that they are twins has somehow caused it to evolve in their brains and it hasn't shown before because they have never been apart.” Jack suggested.

“So for now we just see what happens, see if Caden tells us she's 'spoken' to him again?” Ianto asked, a little hope creeping into his voice.

“Yeah, maybe our children are even more of a miracle than we gave them credit for.”

“I hope so, blimey.” Ianto replied, not sure he could believe the twins might have some kind of psychic connection.

“Me too, but now we have to go and face the press, ready?” Jack asked, pressing a small kiss to Ianto's lips.

“Yep, lets do this.” Ianto said determinedly.

After telling Claire they were leaving for the press conference they made their way to the school, Andy was meeting them there along with Ianto's parents for moral support. As they pulled into the school car park in what had been Ianto's car they surveys all the vans surrounding them from various TV stations, and both took deep breaths before climbing out the car.

TBC


	16. Chapter 16

Andy was waiting outside the school for them when they arrived.

“How you doing?” Andy asked, his voice full of concern, he had never seen them looking so down.

“Been better.” Jack mumbled as Ianto took his hand.

“No news on her car yet?” Ianto asked, knowing the answer would be no.

“Sorry mate, as soon as we trace it you'll both be the first to know.”

“We have our team working on it too, it's got to turn up sometime.” Jack said solemnly.

“It will and we will fine them Jack, we won't stop until we do.”

“I know Andy, thank you.”

“What happens now?” Ianto asked.

“Okay, they've set up a table at the far end of the hall for you, your parents are waiting inside. The microphones are on the table and the cameras will be behind them. This is not a live broadcast, I have warned them that any questions that don't relate directly to Eloise and her kidnapping will be ignored so if they do try it can be edited out before it is seen and we will be looking over the recording before it's shown.” Andy told them.

“Lets get this done.” Jack replied, moving towards the school entrance.

Ianto's parents were waiting just inside the school, as soon as Carys saw them she rushed over and pulled Ianto into a hug before extending an arm and wrapping it around Jack. As she pulled back they could see tiredness and sadness in her eyes, Ianto's dad moved closer and gave them both a brief hug.

“Ready?” Alan asked.

“Not really, but we need to do this.” Jack replied.

“Come on, sooner we do this the sooner it gets broadcast and the sooner people will be on the lookout for them.” Ianto said, squeezing his hand.

Taking a moment to compose themselves they opened the door to the school hall, Andy led the way to the far end of the hall with Jack and Ianto behind clutching hands and Carys and Alan behind. They didn't look at the people or the cameras in the room until they were sat behind the desk, after a reassuring look at each other Jack and Ianto looked up to face the crowd of reporters and camera men.

“Can you clarify what happened?” A female reported asked.

“We were called by our nanny at work, she told us that the school had phoned to inform her that Eloise was missing and they had no idea where she was.” Jack responded.

“What happened next?” She continued.

“Arriving at the school we questioned how this could have happened, but the headmistress wasn't able to give us an answer. After consoling out son, Eloise's twin brother, they found some CCTV footage of Eloise talking to and being taken by a woman, her name we discovered in Rebecca Downs.” Ianto told them.

“This woman isn't their mother I believe?” A male reported asked.

“They don't have a mother.” Jack told him.

“Is she dead?” The first reporter asked.

“None of this is important, it's not their mother and we don't need to talk about the matter.” Ianto told them, trying to keep the anger from his voice.

Jack squeezed his hand tightly under the table.

“I believe the woman in question lost her own daughter, around Eloise's age in a car crash a short while ago, do the police think this was the reason she was taken, to replace her own daughter?” Another man asked.

“Yeah that's what the police believe, if so then we are praying the Eloise is safe and being well cared for but they need to be found, we want our daughter back and for this woman to get the treatment she obviously needs.” Jack responded.

“She's fled from her house yes? And no one has been able to trace her car yet?” The first woman asked.

“That's true, but the police and our own colleagues are working on finding it.” Ianto told her.

“You say colleagues, you mean the people you work with at Torchwood?” The second man asked.

“Our jobs are none of your business and don't have any relevance on why we are here.” Jack told him sternly.

“But you do work for Torchwood? You were seen leaving the school in that infamous SUV?” He persisted.

“I suggest you stop this line of questioning.” Andy told interrupted, he could see both Jack and Ianto were getting agitated.

“Fine, fine.” The man grumbled.

“Jack, Ianto, do have anything you want to say to Rebecca if she's watching?”

Ianto nodded and looked directly at the camera's.

“Rebecca, if you are watching this please think of Eloise and her needs, she needs to be back with her family, her brother. We all miss her so much, we know you've lost your own child and we can understand that but she's not your daughter, she's ours and you're breaking our hearts.”

Jack reached over and brushed away the tear that spilt down Ianto cheek. “You okay?” He whispered softly to him.

Ianto nodded, feeling to emotional to speak again.

“All we want is our daughter back, just give her back.” Jack added to Ianto's plea.

“Okay, I think we're done here.” Andy told the reporters. “Lets get going and remember I want to see that news report before it is broadcast, that goes for all of you.”

Jack, Ianto, Andy and Ianto's parents left the hall quickly while the reporters and camera men packed away their equipment and made their way back to the car park. They thanked Andy for setting the press conference up and he headed back to the police station.

“Want us to come back home with you?” Carys asked them.

“Thanks mam but I think we just want to be alone with Caden, we're going to ask Claire if she wants to stay at her boyfriends for a day or so.”

“If that's what you want, but you call us for any reason if we can help, okay?” She replied.

“We will Carys, Alan, thank you.”

After more hugs they went their separate ways, arriving home they found a note from Claire saying she had taken Caden to the park for some fresh air and wouldn't be back late. Ianto made them coffee and then they sat on the sofa in the silent room just holding each other close and trying not to look at how slowly the time seemed to be passing.

TBC


	17. Chapter 17

For the rest of the day and into the evening they just spent at home with Caden and Claire, Jack had called the hub and spoken to Gwen after they had put Caden to bed. She told them that they had everything under control and that thankfully the rift seemed to be behaving itself and nothing major had happened. After telling Claire that she should spend the rest of the evening with her boyfriend, wanting her to get some time away from what was going on they just sat curled together on the sofa all evening watching the news and hoping the phone would ring.

Andy had made sure the broadcast of their press conference had been edited by all the news stations so that there was no mention of Torchwood, they flashed up and picture of Rebecca Downs they had taken from her house and a recent picture of Eloise, giving her name for the first time. There was a phone number at the bottom of the screen for the whole of the broadcast with extra plea's from the newsreader for members of the public to vigilant and look out for the woman and the missing child.

In the end they went to bed early, just because they didn't know what else to do. Neither of them had eaten, they didn't feel like they could stomach anything and they lay quietly in each others arms for a long time before both of them eventually drifted into an uneasy sleep. Jack woke first as dawn approached and was a little shocked to find Caden in bed with them, between them. He wondered how he had managed it without waking them as they slept curled around each other more often than not.

Jack lay watching both his son and lover sleep, wondering if Caden really had formed a psychic connection with his twin. Part of him believed that it was something Caden had dreamed but the other part wanted it to be true, if it was true he might be able to help them find his sister. But the worst thing he could do was try and force the issue, if it was something that was just developing then trying to make Caden force it would just end up frustrating the small child if it didn't work.

The peace was disturbed when Jack's mobile rang, he grabbed it from the bedside table and flipped it open seeing Gwen's name on the display hoping it was news about Rebecca's car as Ianto's eyes flickered open at him sleepily. He watched as Ianto looked like he had the same reaction as him upon finding Caden in their bed as he spoke to Gwen.

“Jack, I'm really sorry and I didn't want to call you but I really had no choice.” She told him. “But Chloe and Damien need your help, both you and Ianto.”

“What's happened?” Jack asked, frowning and making Ianto nervous.

“They went to check on what seemed like was a couple of Weevils sighted on the outskirts of Splott but they are out of their depth, there was half a dozen of them. Seems Damien shot at one with a tranquillizer dart, missed and alerted them to their presence. Jack they're hidden in an abandoned house but they think the Weevils know they are there and it's only a matter of time before they find them.” Gwen told him, her voice conveying her concern for her team mates and how much she was hating calling Jack and Ianto at this time.

“Gwen, it's okay, we'll go and help them, just give me their location.” Jack assured her.

“Thanks Jack, I'm sorry, I really am.” She told him, meaning about having to call him and that they hadn't found Eloise yet.

“We know, just text us the information and we'll be on our way, bye.”

Jack flipped his phone closed again and looked at Ianto. “Chloe and Damien have got themselves into a situation with a bunch of Weevils, they need our help.” Jack explained as he got carefully out of bed so as not to wake the still sleeping child.

“Did Claire come home last night?” Ianto asked, following suit.

“I think so, I'll go check when I'm dressed.”

“Okay, lets get this over with.”

They both dressed rapidly and then Jack went to Claire's room and tapped on the door. “Claire?” He called out.

“It's okay Jack, come in.”

Jack let himself into her room, she was in bed but had obviously been awake for some while and reading.

“We have to go out, problem at work.”

“Not a problem, Caden still asleep?”

“Yeah but he's in out bed, he must have got lonely or upset in the night is it okay if I bring him in here and put him in with you so he doesn't wake alone?” Jack asked.

“Sure, go get him and I'll shift over and make room for him.”

Jack rushed back to their room and carefully lifted his son from the bed, Caden snuffled against his daddy but didn't stir even when he put him in Claire's bed. Telling her he hoped they would be back soon he went downstairs to find Ianto who was waiting with his coat for him. After getting their guns from the locked safely away they were out the door and speeding towards the address Gwen had texted to them.

When they got there they found Gwen had been right, and there were half a dozen Weevils around the outside of the building with a couple of them doing a good job of bashing down the front door. They had no choice but to shoot them, getting three of them before the two of them beating on the door broke through and then remaining Weevils moved into the house, Jack and Ianto hot on their heels. 

They got another one as they entered the building but the other two split up, each of them went after one calling out for Chloe and Damien. As the final shots rang out and the last two Weevils dropped to the ground Damien and Chloe came running down from the upstairs of the building, guns in hand and very relieved looks on their faces.

“Jack, Ianto, you have no idea how glad we are to see you.” Damien told him. “But sorry for dragging you away from your home.”

“Any news?” Chloe asked, looking at Jack and then Ianto and seeing their faces drop.

“No, nothing, I take it you haven't come up with anything for the car yet either?” Jack asked.

“No, but we're still searching, they could be anywhere in the UK, let alone Wales.” Damien answered. “Sorry, that sounded so negative.”

“But true.” Ianto replied sadly.

“Lets get these Weevils out of here and back to the hub, we'll come with you. No one saw us leave this morning I'm sure so I don't think we've been followed.” Jack told them.

TBC


	18. Chapter 18

Reaching the hub they parked their car, packed with a couple of dead Weevils itself, one on the boot and the other on the back seat after Ianto had insisted on covering it with a blanket and helped Chloe and Damien get them inside. As soon as Gwen saw them she threw herself first in Ianto's arms and then Jack's hugging them tight as she apologised over and over about having to call them out that morning.

“Gwen, it's okay, we knew something might happen.” Jack told her.

“Claire called me, said that Caden was feeling a little under the weather and asked if she should bring him to see Chloe, I told her maybe it would be best if Chloe went to the house when she got back?” Gwen told them.

“What's wrong, did she say?” Ianto asked worried about his son.

“She thinks it's probably just a cold, he has a bit of a temperature and says his head hurts.”

“Yeah, probably.” Jack replied. “Chloe, would you mind looking in on him?”

“I'll go straight away, you coming?” Chloe replied.

“No, tell Claire we'll be there soon, might as well get a little caught up while were here.”

“Will do.” Chloe grabbed her coat and doctor's bag and headed out the hub.

“Right, Gwen lets go up to my office and you can fill me and Ianto in on what's been going on around here the last few days.” As much as he didn't want to say it out loud he really needed something to distract his thoughts on Eloise's whereabouts, even if only for a few minutes before he started to fall apart again.

“Coffee?” Ianto asked, knowing the answer and heading for the kitchenette without even waiting for a reply. Without knowing even knowing Jack felt the same as he did, he knew that if he didn't have some kind of distraction for a while he was going to crack.

They spent a good hour in Jack's office avoiding talking about Eloise and the lack so far of anything useful in the attempt to find her and the kidnapper. It was nearing the forth day now and they were both getting more and more worried that she wouldn't be found, that they would never see their daughter again and it was getting harder and harder to keep themselves together for Caden's sake.

Caden hadn't mentioned his sister talking to him in his head since the first time it had happened and they were losing hope again on that front, it was getting very frustrating not being able to do anything about their missing daughter themselves. Gwen had told them that Damien was spending his days going over and over fresh CCTV footage every day to see if they car showed up but so far he was a clueless as the police.

Chloe arrived back a couple of hours after she left to go and see Claire, staying much longer than she had really needed to when she realised that Claire wanted someone to talk too about what was happening other than Jack and Ianto. Claire had been right in her assumption that Caden was just coming down with a cold which was a great relief to her but she also wanted to talk to Chloe about Ianto.

She told her she was worried he might slip back into his depression, that he was showing little signs that may or may not mean anything. Nothing major but just little things he said now and then were making her worried, questioning himself and sounding insecure. Chloe had promised to talk to him without letting him know Claire had said anything and when she got back to the hub, after assuring them that Caden would be fine she asked Ianto if she could see him alone.

“How you coping Ianto?” She asked him.

“Fine, like any other parent who's child has been kidnapped by an insane woman.” He told her.

“Not feeling like, like you did before when you escaped from UNIT?”

“Are you trying to ask me if I think I will get depressed again?” Ianto smiled softly.

“That's the size of it.” She replied, reaching out and squeezing his hand. “It wouldn't be a shock if you were feeling that way.”

“No, I think I'm okay, I've spoken to Jack about my worries and my mate Ben, I think as long as I'm honest about my feelings I'll be okay.”

Chloe nodded. “Okay, but promise me Ianto, to ask Jack to tell you if he thinks you might be heading down that path, so we can catch it before it goes that far?”

“I promise.” Ianto told her honestly.

“Right, lets forget this conversation for now, no dwelling on what I've said, right?”

“Yep, and thank you Chloe, for worrying about me.”

“No problem Ianto, just look after yourself.”

“I will, now I need to find Jack.” He told her, giving her a hug before making his way back to Jack's office.

Jack was sat as his desk, deep in thought as he stared at his computer monitor, Ianto moved round his side of the desk and saw he was watching their appeal for their daughter again on-line.

“Jack, that won't help.” He told him softly.

Jack sighed and clicked the mouse, closing the window. “I know, I just keep wondering if we should have said more?”

“We made our point, you can see how upset we are about our daughter being missing, now we just have to hope someone spots her.”

Jack pulled him onto his lap and kissed him softly. “I know, I do but I feel so helpless.”

“Join the club.” Ianto replied softly. “Chloe made me promise something.”

“What's that?” Jack asked, a little worried.

“That if I show any signs of the depression coming back you must tell me and make sure I tell Chloe.”

“Sensible, I will.”

“Can we go home now?” Ianto asked, pressing close to Jack as his arms wrapped around him tight.

“I want to wait till it's dark, just to be on the safe side but it should be soon.”

“Good idea, we should pick up food on the way home, we haven't eaten since yesterday morning and I know I'm starting to feel the effects.”

“I'm not hungry but you're right, we need to eat.” Jack agreed.

“We'll get enough for Claire and Caden too, oh Jack I really need our daughter back.”

“I know, I miss her so badly.” Jack replied, kissing Ianto tenderly and then holding Ianto even tighter.

They didn't pull apart from the hug until a familiar noise filled their ears and a blue box appeared in the middle of the main hub.

TBC.


	19. Chapter 19

They were rushing down the steps from Jack's office as the Doctor and Donna walked out the TARDIS door, the Doctor grabbed Jack and hugged him tight as Donna did the same to Ianto.

“Martha called me, she wanted to come herself but she's tied up with something at the moment. Any news?” The Doctor told them as he disentangled himself from Jack's arms, but still left hands resting on Jack's.

Donna seemed happy to keep hugging Ianto and for now he let her, he knew she was just showing how much she cared about them by doing so.

“No news.” Jack said sadly. “They're trying to trace the woman's car but it seems to have vanished into this air.”

“They?” Donna asked.

“Well, my team but the police also.” Ianto told her. “This is something we need help with.”

The Doctor nodded thoughtfully. “You have the number plate of the car, a description?”

Jack nodded. “Yeah.”

“Well, I have the TARDIS and I might be able to help, I can't promise anything but I will try.” The Doctor told them, but sensing their emotions he said it without his usual bravado. “Ianto, a cup of your wonderful tea while I try, if I may?”

“Anything.” Ianto replied as Donna released her hold on him. “Coffee?” He asked her.

“Please, I'll give you a hand.”

Jack and the Doctor headed to the TARDIS and Ianto and Donna towards the kitchenette, Ianto switched on both the kettle and the coffee machine.

“One day I will get him to drink coffee.” Donna told Ianto.

“Tea's okay, but coffee is better.” Ianto allowed himself a small smile as he went about his tasks.

“Especially your coffee, nowhere in the universe has coffee a patch on yours.” Donna told him.

Ianto felt himself blush a little, something that rarely happened anymore. “Thank you.” He said politely.

“So, you got any biscuits, I'm a bit peckish.” Donna grinned.

“Look behind the coffee tin and the teabags, you should find some chocolate digestives hidden there unless Gwen has found them in my absence.”

As Donna rummaged around looking for the biscuits Ianto knew that this little chat was somehow planned, he had a feeling that the Doctor had told her to try and distract him from the horror of their missing child. It wasn't working as she was constantly on his mind but he appreciated the gesture and played along.

Meanwhile in the TARDIS the Doctor was feeding the details of the woman's car into the it's systems, pressing buttons, twiddling knobs and moving levers back and forth with a look of concentration on his face as Jack watched, no idea what exactly the Doctor was doing. The Doctor finished with a whack to the console with his hand and stepped back as something lurched into action making a whining sound, lights flashing orange.

“Now we wait.” The Doctor told Jack.

“What's she doing?” Jack said, indicating the TARDIS.

“Scanning the whole planet, she will find it, 99% sure, maybe 98% ... could 97% the Doctor babbled a little.”

“I appreciate the help Doctor, even if it doesn't work.”

“No negative thinking Jack, ah, here's my tea.” He replied as Ianto and Donna walked in, followed by Gwen, Damien and Chloe who were unable to stay out of the magnificent time machine any longer.

“Biscuit Doctor?” Ianto asked, offering the plate to him.

“Got any banana's, I like banana's, they're good for you.”

“I agree, they are but sadly no.” Ianto told him.

“Then a biscuit would he great.” The Doctor said, taking a handful and shoving all but one into his pocket.

“Donna, why don't you give the others.” He said looking over to where Gwen, Damien and Chloe were stood. “A mini tour, don't go too far though.”

“Sure, come on, follow me.” She told them, all of them taking their coffee's with them.

“What's happening?” Ianto asked as he looked at the flashing orange light on the console of the TARDIS.

The Doctor explained to him as Ianto looked at him in amazement, if this worked they could have their daughter back very very soon. He was just about to ask the Doctor something else when the whining sound ended with a sound like a huge belch and the light turned red.

“Doctor?” Jack asked, kind of afraid to know what the TARDIS had come up with.

The Doctor looked closely at the results displayed in the monitor, which looked like total gibberish to both Jack and Ianto and frowned.

“Okay, good news is she's found the car.” He told them but his voice held no excitement.

“And the bad?” Ianto asked.

“It appears to be at the bottom of a lake.” The Doctor told them sadly.

TBC


	20. Chapter 20

“What do you mean it's at the bottom of a lake?” Ianto spluttered his coffee.

“The TARDIS has pinpointed it's exact location and it's at the bottom if a lake, not getting any human DNA signs though so I'd say it was empty when it went under.” The Doctor told them.

“I don't believe this.” Jack said, hitting the console with his fist.

“Which lake?” Ianto asked, moving to Jack's side and taking his hand in his and squeezing it softly.

“Llangorse Lake, in the north of the Brecon Beacons.”

“Had to be there.” Ianto shuddered, this time it was Jack squeezing Ianto's hand.

“Did I miss something?” The Doctor asked concerned.

“Just a place with already unhappy memories.” Ianto told him.

The Doctor just nodded thoughtfully.

“Right, I should get hold of Andy and get him to send the divers down to confirm the car is indeed empty.” Jack said thinking practically.

“They're not down there, I'm sure of it.” The Doctor tried to reassure them.

“Better to check, just to be sure.” Ianto replied.

“I imagine she dumped the car deliberately to put is off the scent, thing is now we have nothing to go on.” Jack said, his voice sounding like it was going to crack. “I'm going to call Andy.”

Jack let go of Ianto's hand and headed off towards his office, Ianto watching him go feeling even more helpless than he already was as tear ran down his cheek.

“Ianto, I will stay and do everything I can to help find your daughter, I promise.” The Doctor told him. “Go after Jack, you need each other.”

“You could take us back in time, then we could keep her off school that day.” Ianto said, looking determined.

“Ianto I wish I could but you aren't stupid, in fact I know you are brilliant and you know I can't mess with time lines.”

“It was worth a try.” Ianto replied. “I should go after Jack.”

“Go” The Doctor told him, waving his arms at him.

Once Ianto had gone the Doctor realised the TARDIS was telling him something and frowned, he wondered whether he should ask them.

When Ianto got to Jack's office and Jack was finishing his call with Andy.

“You know I can't tell you exactly how I know it's at the bottom of the lake but you know you have to send down the divers.” Jack said.

“Yeah, it's one of our 'spooky do's'” Jack said, his voice flat over something that normally amused him, that Andy was still using the same expression.

“I understand Andy, yes I know it's dark but please do it first thing in the morning.”

“Thanks Andy, we'll meet you at the lake.”

Jack ended the call and looked up at Ianto who was next to him perched on the edge of his desk.

“Andy's going to send the divers down at first light, I know in my heart they are not down there with the car but I want to be there when the divers confirm it.”

“Me too Jack, the Doctor has promised to stay until we find Eloise, will help in any way he can.”

“Take us back in time?”

“Already tried that, he said no.”

“Thought he might.” Jack replied. “Wibbly wobbly timey wimey stuff.”

“Eh?” Ianto asked.

“Just an expression the Doctor uses, damn, what the hell do we do now?” Jack sighed.

“We will talk to Andy tomorrow, after they've searched the lake and ask him what he suggests.”

Jack shrugged. “I guess.”

“Can we go home now, I really need to see Caden.”

“Yeah, me too, we'll take the Doctor and Donna with us and pick up takeaway like we said for everyone.” Jack suggested.

“Yeah, I think we need some company this evening, I should call my parents when we get back too.”

“They still in that hotel?”

“Yep, I should fill them in about what's happened and tell them to come to our house tomorrow, they must be feeling as lost as us.”

“How about you call them now while I go and extract the rest of our team members from the TARDIS and tell the Doctor and Donna they are invited to dinner?”

“Yeah, okay.”

Jack vacated his chair, gave Ianto a quick hug and ran down to the main hub as Ianto moved into his chair and began to dial his mothers mobile.

As Jack got to the TARDIS he found Gwen, Damien and Chloe standing in the console room talking to the Doctor about what they had seen in the TARDIS, the size of his library, the garden and all manner of other things they still couldn't quite believe.

“Right, Ianto and I are going to go home to our son now, we've been out all day and he needs his daddy's. Donna, Doctor, we want you to come with us.” Jack told them.

“Sure?” Donna asked.

“Positive.” He turned to Gwen, Damien and Chloe. “You three should try and get some sleep, it's been a long day for you too.”

“Don't worry about us, we've been taking it in turns to babysit the hub, we'll be fine.” Gwen told him.

“Ianto is just phoning his parents and we'll be off.”

“Right, everybody out.” The Doctor told them. “Except you Jack, there's something I need to ask you.”

TBC


	21. Chapter 21

The Doctor gave Jack an odd look. “Is there something you want to tell me?”

“About what?” Jack had no idea what he was on about.

“No news you want to share?” The Doctor asked, giving him a small smile.

“Doctor, spit it out, what are you trying to ask?”

“You really don't know?”

“Doctor!”

“Might want to sit down for this.” The Doctor told him, pointing towards the seat by the console.

“But ...”

“Sit!” The Doctor ordered him.

Jack raised an eyebrow and then did as he was told, The Doctor followed him and perched on the edge of the console in front of him.

“The TARDIS scanned you, I had nothing to do with it and she must have had her reasons but she told me something. Jack do you really have no idea that you are pregnant?”

Jack's jaw dropped, speechless for one of the few times in his life as he let the Doctor's words sink in.

“But I can't be ... it's only ... but ... shit!” Jack stuttered.

“Contraceptive device?”

“Martha removed it, almost a year ago ... but it's only ... oh my god it's nearly four weeks since I last took a test!” Jack exclaimed.

“According to the TARDIS you're about three weeks pregnant, too early to say if it's a boy or a girl though.”

“There's just one though, one baby?”

The Doctor nodded.

“Ianto's going to be so happy.” Jack told him, but his face held no evidence of the excitement he should have been feeling.

“I though Ianto refused to have any more children, after the problems you had with the twins?”

“It was his idea, he suggested it on the twins forth birthday. Oh god they will be five in a couple of weeks, we have to get Eloise back before her birthday, sooner, Doctor.”

“Are you happy? With the news that you are pregnant?”

“I don't know, worst timing ever.” Jack sighed. “I feel like I can't be happy about it because of what's happening.”

“Maybe it's fate, something positive for you to think about while you look for Eloise?”

Jack shook his head. “No, just something we've wanted for a year finally happening when it was least expected.”

“No symptoms?”

“No, but then it's still so early and what with Eloise ....” Jack told him, trailing off.

“You should tell Ianto, might give him something to help him through this too.”

“You're right, he's been more excited about me being pregnant that I have amazingly, although for one reason you probably don't want to know.” Jack managed a small smile, feeling his eyes welling up with tears.

Jack stood up and pulled the Doctor into a hug, tears pouring down his face. He had no idea if they were happy tears for the baby or sad ones for Eloise and his family or maybe a combination of the two but he didn't care that he was soaking the shoulder of the Doctor's jacket.

“Am I interrupting something?” Ianto's voice came to them as he entered the TARDIS, his tone changing when he saw the tears pouring down Jack's face. “Jack what's wrong, did Andy phone back?”

“I'll leave you.” The Doctor told them as Jack released his arms from hugging him, patting Ianto on the shoulder as he walked past him.

“No, Andy hasn't called again, the Doctor just told me something.”

“Has he upset you, what did he say?” Ianto looked angry.

“No, it's not him, I need to tell you something.”

“Go on.” Ianto urged.

Jack took a deep breath. “It seems the TARDIS scanned me when we first came in here, the Doctor had nothing to do with it but she told him what she found.”

“And that was?”

“It appears I'm about three weeks ... pregnant.”

“Pregnant? No, not now.” Ianto said, the horrified look on his face saying what he didn't as he shock his head.

“I thought you'd be happy?”

“Not now, no ... we can't, what if we don't find Eloise, it would be like we were replacing her.”

“Ianto ...”

“No Jack, we can't have this baby.” Ianto told him and stormed towards the TARDIS door and then stopped again. “You'll have to get rid of it Jack.” He added and then ran through the hub and out through the cog door while Jack stared after him in shock.

TBC


	22. Chapter 22

“Jack?” The Doctor said quietly as he moved back into the TARDIS after seeing Ianto flee.

“He said he didn't want to baby.” Jack replied, his voice barely above a whisper. “Said it would be like we were trying to replace Eloise if we didn't find her, he told me to ... to get rid of it.”

“He doesn't mean it, I'm sure. Go and find him, talk to him.”

“I can't get rid of this baby Doctor, but I can't lose Ianto either. What the hell do I do?”

“You have to go and catch up with him, you need to talk to each other, tell him how you feel.”

Jack nodded. “Yeah, you really think he doesn't mean it?”

“No, I don't think so, he's just upset and like you said, the timing is the worst it could be.”

“I'll go and find him, we have to sort this out.”

Jack moved out of the TARDIS and into the hub, calling over to Damien.

“Where's the car? Ours not the SUV?”

Damien typed some commands into the computer.

“Still in the car park with the SUV.” He called back.

“Thanks.” He shouted and he sprinted out of the hub.

Damien watched him till he disappeared through the cog door, he couldn't miss the fact that Jack had been crying and from the way Ianto ran out not long before he knew something was very wrong. He turned to see the Doctor emerge from the TARDIS.

“Is it Eloise, please tell me it's not something .... bad?”

“No, not Eloise, they've just had a bit of unexpected news.” The Doctor replied. “Good I think but a shock.”

Damien gave him a confused look but decided not to push the matter any further, then went back to his search for the missing car on his computer, totally missing the look on Gwen's face. But the look was was noted by the Doctor, he knew she had guessed the instant he had spoken and as he saw it sink in he knew she had also guessed what was happening between them.

Gwen walked over to the Doctor. “Am I right, is Jack pregnant?” She asked him quietly.

“Please, keep it to yourself.”

“Oh god, at a time like this ... of course I will.” She replied before moving back to her workstation and sitting down deep in thought.

Jack thought he might find Ianto in the fake Tourist Office but he was nowhere to be seen, heading outside he wasn't sure which way to go and eventually ran towards the bay. He hadn't got far when he saw a figure stood by the railings looking down into the water, Ianto. He slowed his pace and moved towards him, Ianto just kept staring down into the bay even though he must have sensed him beside him.

“Ianto, we need to talk about this.”

“No need, we can't have this baby, it's not right. Getting rid of it is the only option”

“I'm not having an abortion, not when we've wanted this for so long. Please don't make me, I'm not sure I could live with myself, I'm not losing another baby.” Jack told him.

“You can replace our daughter that easily?” Ianto asked, finally looking up at him, tears falling down silently his cheeks.

“This baby won't replace her, nothing could replace her. She is her own person, just like this baby would be. We will find Eloise and she will adore her baby brother or sister.”

“I can't think about this now Jack, it just seems so wrong, to bring another child into our family when one of them is missing.”

“Is there something else, another reason why does it seem so wrong, other that what you've already said?”

“We shouldn't, can't even consider being happy about this when our daughter is missing.”

“It could give us something positive to think about, even more reason to find Eloise to tell her she's going to be a big sister.” Jack tried to reason.

“Just leave me alone Jack, I need time to be alone for a while.”

“Come home with me, we can talk some more.”

“No Jack, you go home, take the Doctor and Donna as you planned, I'll see you later.”

With that Ianto walked off and left Jack standing alone again.

“Ianto, please.” Jack called after him but Ianto just kept walking.

Jack watched him till he was out of sight and then headed back to the hub, the others watched him as he went to his office. Jack pressed a few keys and then flicked between the CCTV feeds of the Plass, finding Ianto walking across the Plass and into the pub. For now he would give Ianto what he wanted, time to think and hope he came around to the same way of thinking as himself.

Heading back down to the main hub and putting on a brave face he rounded up the Doctor and Donna and told the others he was going home, then led the way out the hub. He took their car on purpose, if Ianto was in the pub he would be drinking and although Ianto normally wasn't stupid enough to drive after drinking he wasn't going to take any chances.

Ianto walked into the pub and up to the bar, ordered a double whiskey and downed it in one go before ordering another and a pint of beer. He took no time downing them either, he'd lied to Jack, he didn't want to think about anything let alone the fact that Jack was carrying his baby. Five pints later and he was well on his way to being pissed, he sat in the corner of the pub nursing the final one knowing he should go home but not wanting to, that would mean facing real life again but the alcohol was doing nothing to numb his brain.

“Ianto?” A female voice disturbed him from his thoughts, he looked up.

“Jenny?” He slurred a little. “What you doing here?”

“Girls night out, what's the matter? Where's Jack?”

“We had a fight.”

“Want to talk about it?” Jenny asked gently.

Ianto laughed. “Yeah right.” He said sarcastically.

“Fine, I'll just leave you here brooding.” She told him turned to go back to her friends.

“Jenny, I'm sorry, it's just ... complicated.”

Jenny turned back to him. “I mean it Ianto, use me as a sounding board, I won't say a word if you don't want me too.”

Ianto thought about it for a minute, he was sure he could talk about it without giving away Jack's secret, he wasn't that drunk he told himself. “Okay.”

“Not here, come on lets go somewhere less noisy.” Jenny told him, holding his arm as he swayed a little leaving the pub after telling her friends why she was leaving.

“Where are we?” He asked a short time later as she led him towards the front door of a house.

“My place.” She shrugged, “Kids are with their dad tonight so peace and quiet for you to talk.”

“You're not with their dad?”

“No, we kind of drifted apart but we're still friends for the kids sake.” She said as she opened the front door and flicked on the light. “Coffee? Tea?”

“Beer?” Ianto asked.

“I think you've had enough of that for one evening, don't you?”

“Maybe.” Ianto replied. “Tea, thanks.”

TBC


	23. Chapter 23

Jack called the local Chinese takeaway on his mobile from the car before they left the car park and put in his order so it would be ready to collect on their way home, including Ianto's favourites in the hope he would be back soon and hopefully not drunk. The silence in the car was deafening the whole time, Donna and the Doctor stayed in the car while Jack got the food, as soon as Jack was out the car Donna turned to him.

“What's happened, did you say something you shouldn't have and upset Ianto?” She demanded.

“No, I gave Jack some what should have been good news, he told Ianto and Ianto didn't see it the same way.” The Doctor told her sadly.

“What news?”

“That's for them to tell, if they want to.”

Donna's eyes lit up. “Is he pregnant, Jack I mean?”

“Donna, sometimes you are too clever for your own good, please don't say anything to Jack.”

“'Course not, but why is Ianto so upset, oh, he didn't want Jack to have more children, did he?”

“Ianto changed his mind, they've been trying for about a year, he just feels the timing is wrong.”

“I can see his point of view, what with Eloise being missing.” Donna said thoughtfully. “But I can imagine Jack's feeling rather hurt if he's told him he doesn't want the baby.”

“Exactly, I think they just need a little time apart so they can both think about it. Ianto is a sensible man, I think he'll actually realise that he does want the baby.”

“I hope so, they have enough stress in their lives without something that should be a source of celebration causing them problems.”

They spotted Jack walking back to the car laden with bags full of food.

“Remember, not a word.” The Doctor told her again.

She did a mime of zipping her lips together and smiled at him sadly as Jack got back into the car and the uncomfortable journey continued back to the house. Once inside the house Claire came out the kitchen where she had been making herself a drink and was surprised to see the Doctor and Donna were with him, no one had thought to tell her and let her know they were coming home with Jack.

Jack handed her the bags. “Dinner, where's Caden?”

“In bed, asleep.”

“Of course, back in a minute, don't wait for me.” He told her, indicating the food.

He bounded up the stairs two at a time, watched by the other three.

“Where's Ianto?” Claire asked.

“Let me help you with the food.” Donna said, steering her back towards the kitchen.

The Doctor walked up the stairs and located Jack, he stood leaning on the door frame as Jack sat on the edge of his sleeping son's bed talking softly to him, he couldn't hear what he was saying but he knew it would be something to do with him promising to find his sister soon.

When Jack got back to his feet he turned the lamp off and the small night light on then stopped and stared at Eloise's bed for a few moments before turning to leave the room, spotting the Doctor stood watching him for the first time.

“We will find her Jack, anything I can do to help I will do.”

“I want to ask you something.” Jack said as he closed the bedroom door and they began to walk towards the stairs.

“Anything, you know that Jack.”

“The other day Caden said that Eloise was talking to him in his head, you must know that some people in my time were telepathic, do you think it's possible that the twins have the ability?”

“It's possible, has he said anything else like that?”

“No but to be honest we haven't seen him as much as we should have these last four days.”

“I could get the TARDIS to scan him, she would be able to tell if he has any telepathic abilities.”

Jack nodded slowly. “Maybe, if he does he might be able to help us find his sister.”

“It's possible.”

“The sooner the better, then maybe Ianto will accept this baby.” Jack finished as they reached the bottom of the stairs, his hand on his flat stomach.

“He's just upset over Eloise, understandably, he'll come round.” The Doctor tried to reassure him.

“I hope so, I can't have this baby without him.”

They found Donna and Claire in the living room, from the look Claire gave him he knew Donna had told her that they had had a fight but at least she wouldn't know why. They sat down and began to help themselves to the food, Jack feeling hungry for the first time in days.

“I put some in the oven to keep warm for Ianto.” Claire said to Jack. “I saw that you bought his favourites.”

“Thanks Claire, he'll be back soon I hope.”

“Jack, Caden said something odd to me today, we were in the park and he ran over to me suddenly from the swings and told me that Eloise was in his head and that she had told him that her new mummy seemed nice but she wanted to be back with her daddies, that she didn't want a mummy.”

Jack struggled to hold in a sob and looked at the Doctor.

“Tomorrow Jack, we'll take him to the TARDIS and check for sure.” The Doctor told him before turning to Claire. “We think the twins might have a telepathic connection, it's possible.”

“He could help find Eloise?” Claire exclaimed getting the meaning straight away.

“Yeah.” Replied Jack feeling a little hopeful. “He could.”

TBC


	24. Chapter 24

Jenny led Ianto through the house and to the kitchen.

“Stick the kettle on, I just need to pop to the loo.” Jenny told Ianto and left him in the kitchen.

Ianto filled the kettle with water and located teabags, mugs and sugar before going to the fridge for milk. As he lifted the milk bottle from the fridge he couldn't miss the two bottles of beer in there, he slid one and and looked at it, putting the milk on the side near the mugs they temptation proved too much for him and he opened the bottle and downed half it's contents in a few long gulps.

Just as he was gulping down the last of it Jenny appeared back in the kitchen and gave him a look that made him feel a little guilty, but not enough to put the bottle down. Jenny marched across the kitchen and tried to take it from his hand but he was much stronger, he pulled it from her grip and held it to his mouth downing the last few drops.

“I don't know what you argued about Ianto but THIS is not the answer.” She told him taking the empty bottle and slamming it down on the worktop.

“Seemed like a good idea at the time, something that would make me forget for a few hours ...”

“Are you arguing about Eloise?” Jenny asked confused.

“Nope.”

Jenny sighed. “Talk to me Ianto.”

Ianto moved closer to her. “I can't forget Jenny, I love her so much and it's tearing me apart, I just needed to think about something Jack told me without her being lost in my head.”

“Of course you feel like that, she's your daughter, your child it's natural. What did Jack tell you that made you so upset?”

“Don't want to think about it, even though I promised him I would.”

“Then I don't know what I can do to help?” Jenny said as she went to turn to make the tea.

Ianto reached out and grabbed her arms, stopping her moving.

“Ianto?” She couldn't read his expression at all.

Ianto pressed against her, pushing her against the kitchen units as his mouth met hers, kissing her hard as she froze in shock before her eyes fluttered closed and she melted into the kiss as his tongue slid into her mouth until he released her arms and one of his hands moved, clutching at her breast as the other wound around her body and grasped her buttock. This made her come to her senses, eyes flying open and her arms now free she pressed her palms to Ianto's chest and pushed hard sending him flying backwards.

“What the hell do you think you're doing?” She yelled at him.

Ianto looked at her in his drunken haze as if he couldn't believe what he had just done himself.

“I'm sorry, I'm so sorry.” He told her, moving to leave the kitchen.

“Ianto wait.” She called, catching up with him, seeing the tears falling down his face. “It's okay, well it's not okay but you are upset and pissed. Come on, I meant it when I said you could talk to me, you ready to do that now?”

“Thought you'd be happy to see the back of me after what I just tried.” Ianto told her quietly, feeling ashamed.

“It's not you Ianto, I know I don't know you that well but I just know it's not. I'll make that tea, you go and sit in there.” Jenny pointed into her living room.

Ianto nodded, he did as she said and a few minutes later he was sat in an armchair when she reappeared with two mugs of tea, his tears now subsided. Jenny sat on the chair opposite him.

“So, what was all that about?” She asked, referring to the incident in the kitchen.

“I wanted to get back at Jack I suppose, it was stupid, you're right, I'm drunk.” Ianto shrugged. “I really am sorry.”

“It's okay. Ummmm, I thought you were gay?”

Ianto allowed a small smile to play on his lips. “No, until I met Jack I had never been with a man, never felt attracted to one even but I fell for him. I love him so much.”

“And Jack? He gay?”

“No, he's even more ... liberal than I am.” Ianto gave a quiet, sad chuckle.

“You make a gorgeous couple.” Jenny told him.

Ianto blushed a little.

“So, are you going to tell me what you fought about?” Jenny asked, sipping her tea.

“Having another baby.”

“You mean adopting?”

“Yeah, sort of.”

“Don't you want any more, is that it, or is it Jack that feels that way?”

“Neither of us, okay it seems we have the chance right now of having another baby but I feel like it's all wrong, that it would be like we are trying to replace Eloise.”

“I can see that but you could find Eloise tomorrow, in a week and then might it be too late to say yes to having this baby?”

“Maybe.”

“And how would you feel then?”

“I don't know if I could forgive myself for not taking the chance and upsetting Jack.”

“Okay, if Eloise wasn't missing would you want this baby?”

“Yep, we've wanted to increase our family for the last year.”

“Bad timing then?”

“Very.”

“Right I'm going to ask you something and I want you to be honest, okay?”

Ianto nodded.

“Forgetting about Eloise being missing, at this moment in time do you really want this baby.”

Ianto thought for a minute, about how hard they had been trying for this every thing and told her the only thing he could.

“Yes.”

“Then whatever happens you need to take a chance and have this baby, it can never replace Eloise but then it never will.”

“That's kind of what Jack said.”

“If you say yes to this child when will it become part of your lives?” Jenny asked.

“Not for months.”

“I'm sure you will find Eloise before then, want my opinion?”

“Go for it.”

“Go home, tell Jack you love him and that you're sorry and that you want the baby.”

“I do, I'm just scared ...”

“We all get scared sometimes Ianto but you have to do what you really want.”

“I know you're right.”

“And what happened in the kitchen earlier never leaves these four walls, I won't tell Jack, if you do that's your decision?” She asked him.

Ianto nodded. “I really am sorry.” Ianto apologised again.

“Forget it, but Jack's a lucky man, you're one hell of a kisser.” Jenny grinned causing Ianto to blush again. “Okay, here's the plan, I make you drink a pint of water and another cup of tea to help sober you up and then I stick you in a Taxi and send you home to tell Jack you're sorry and that you want the baby and then you can both get back to the most important thing, finding Eloise.”

“Yes boss.” Ianto told her as she got up to get him the glass of water.

TBC


	25. Chapter 25

After eating and discussing the possibilities of Caden being able to find his sister Jack called a Taxi to take Donna and the Doctor back to the Plass so they could go back to the hub and the TARDIS, giving them strict instructions not to disturb Myfanwy and telling them where the dark chocolate was stashed just in case. Once they were gone Claire went to bed and Jack found himself watching out the window to see if there was any sign of Ianto, he thought about calling his mobile but decided against that in case he made things worse.

Ianto would come home when he was ready he told himself, turning off the lights as he headed upstairs and into Caden's room. He sat on Eloise's bed, leaning his back on the wall beside it and picked up her teddy. The teddy she always slept with and held it tight to his chest with one hand as he watched Caden sleep. His other hand spread on his stomach as he thought of the new, innocent life growing within it.

He was just about to go to his own room when he heard a noise at the front door, like someone trying to get the key in the look and failing. He leapt from the bed and sped down the stairs, flinging open the front door to find a rather pissed Ianto stood before him with his key in his hand looking a little dazed that the door had opened.

“Jack?” His word a little slurred.

“Oh Ianto.” Jack sighed, wrapping his arms around him and holding him tight. He had no idea if Ianto had changed his mind at all but he was just so happy that he was home. “Come on, in.”

Jack loosened his hug and pulled Ianto into the house, manoeuvring him to the living room and sitting him on the sofa beside him. Ianto glanced at him and then looked down at his feet before speaking.

“Jack, I love you, I'm sorry, I'm scared we'll never find Eloise but I didn't mean what I said, I do want the baby.” He said in one long rush.

“Look at me Ianto.” Jack told him softly.

Ianto raised his head and looked into Jack's eyes, he could still see the hurt he had inflicted on him earlier.

“I'm so sorry Jack, so sorry, I never should have said what I said, it was so cruel and I know it must have hurt you so much.”

“Yes, you hurt me Ianto, I never thought you would say something like that. I was scared I would lose you because I could never have got rid of this baby, it was made by us and our love.”

“I was so scared, scared that being happy about the baby would mean it would seem like I didn't care about Eloise being missing, that it was like if we didn't find her then we were having another baby to replace her, I didn't mean to hurt you, it's no excuse but getting rid of the baby just seemed the only thing to do.”

“Never Ianto, this baby could never replace Eloise no matter what.”

“Yeah, except it took me getting very drunk and someone giving me a good talking to to make me see sense.” Ianto told him, his eyes welling up with tears.

“Who did you talk to? They don't know I'm pregnant do they?” Jack asked, a little worried.

“Jenny, and no, she thinks we're adopting or maybe using a surrogate. She found me in the pub, she was out with her mates, wanted to know what was wrong.”

“And you told her?”

“I told her we'd had a fight, she asked if I wanted to talk. At first I said no but then I knew I had to talk to someone and it couldn't be someone we knew without letting the news about the baby out of the bag so I took her up on her offer.” Ianto told him. “Probably for the best, if she hadn't dragged me from the pub I would have probably just kept drinking.”

“Where did you go?”

“Her place, her kids were at their dad's for the night and she thought it would be somewhere we could talk without interruption.”

“It wasn't just an excuse to get my husband alone and seduce him then?” Jack gave a small, sad smile.

“No, she thought I was gay, although she doesn't anymore.” Ianto looked back at the floor but not before Jack saw the look of guilt in his eyes.

“Ianto? Why?”

“I was very drunk Jack, I was upset and angry and ...”

“And?”

“I ... kissed her. Jack please believe me I didn't mean to do it, it just happened, I know it's no excuse and I understand if you feel like you want to kill me but you also have to know she pushed me away and made me stop, I felt so bad, guilty the moment she did.”

Jack got up from the sofa, slid his hands in his pockets and moved over to the window, looking out as he responded.

“Was it a good kiss?” Jack couldn't keep his upset out of his voice. “If she hadn't stopped you would you have slept with her?”

“No, no.” Ianto replied as he jumped up from the sofa and moved to where Jack stood, turning him to face him. “It was stupid, I don't want anyone but you.”

“Me and our baby?”

“Yes, you and our baby.” Ianto placed his hand on Jack's stomach. “Jenny made me talk to her, made me see how upset I would be if we didn't have the baby. How much I was hurting you.”

“So I should be thanking her, not jealous of her? Nothing happened, other than the kiss?”

“Nothing to be jealous of Jack, you have to believe me I should never have kissed her and I could have not told you but I want to be honest, we promised no secrets between us remember? I want you and only you, I want to find our daughter and tell her she's going to be a big sister.”

“You really mean it, you're happy about the baby?”

“Yep, and I can't wait to tell the twins, both of them together. I've wanted this for nearly a year, in my heart I knew I didn't really want you to terminate the pregnancy.”

“I never would have Ianto, you have to know that. I'm not sure how I could have coped if you had left me over it but not having this baby was never an option for me.”

“I'm sorry.” Ianto pressed his hand to Jack's face and brushed his thumb over Jack's cheek. “So sorry I hurt you, I don't think it would ever have come to me leaving you. I love you too much.”

Jack's expression visibly relaxed a little.

“I love you too.” Jack replied before pressing a soft chaste kiss to Ianto's lips before continuing.

“Tomorrow after we go to the lake, where the divers WILL confirm that Eloise is not in the car we are taking Caden to the TARDIS. The Doctor thinks that it's definitely possible that the twins might have a link and the TARDIS can confirm whether or not they have and if Caden has it, then we can try and get Caden to help find his sister.”

“He's said something else?” Ianto asked, his hopes getting up a little.

“Yeah, to Claire earlier in the park, that she told him she wanted to be back with her daddies.”

“So after all this our son could find his sister? Jack, we could have her home safe and sound soon.”

“Yes!” Jack exclaimed.

“Do you forgive me? For the way I acted, what I said, what I did?” Ianto asked quietly.

“As much as you hurt me at the time, yes, I knew you could never mean it.”

“Sorry, I thought if I told you about ... Jenny you'd hate me, want to kill me. I wasn't going to tell you but I knew if I didn't it would just keep eating at me and, you know that things about no secrets .....” Ianto apologised again.

“Shhhh, I don't hate you.” Jack told him, kissing him deeply, a kiss that told him he was forgiven.

“We should try and sleep.” Jack suggested when the kiss broke.

Ianto nodded, Jack took his hand and led him upstairs. Once they were in bed Ianto lay curled against Jack's side, his hand on his stomach and imagined the tiny foetus within as he closed his eyes and tried to sleep. Jack placed his hand on top of Ianto's and thanked whoever was listening that the day was over and hoped that the morning would bring them the news they were waiting for about the car and Caden.

TBC


	26. Chapter 26

When the alarm went off the next morning the sun was just beginning to rise and was promising a bright September day, Ianto opened his eyes with a groan at the pain in his head and the daylight hitting his eyes and then remembered the evening before. He spotted Jack watching him as he closed his eyes shut again and buried his head under the pillow with a loud groan as a rerun of the evening ran through his head from getting drunk, kissing Jenny and then going home and confessing to Jack along with his apologies.

He felt the mattress move as Jack slid from the bed and the barely there sound of Jack's bare feet padding out the bedroom without a word to him. His head was pounding and it was being made worse by the thought that maybe Jack had had time to consider the way her had treated him the night before and his admission about Jenny and now that it was possible that Jack wasn't feeling quite as forgiving in the light of day.

Thinking he should get out of bed and get dressed he pulled his head out from under the pillows again and slowly opened his eyes. The room was visibly darker, glancing at the window he realised that Jack had pulled the heavy curtains they normally left open at all times. One hand clutching his forehead he made to get out of bed as the bedroom door opened and Jack appeared carrying a glass of water and a packet of painkillers along with a mug of coffee.

“Stay there a minute.” Jack told him, handing him the glass of water and pushing out a couple of painkillers into his hand after putting the coffee down on the bedside table.

“Thanks.” Ianto murmured, taking them and swallowing them down. “Feels like someone s using a road drill in my head.”

“I really should say it serves you right.” Jack replied, but there wasn't any hint of malice in his voice.

“Well I wouldn't blame you if you did.” Ianto told him, his gaze on the duvet covering his lower body.

Jack reached his hand to Ianto's chin lifting his head. “What's done is done, we can't change what happened last night. You were honest with me and I appreciate that, I'd be more upset if you hadn't told me and I'd found out later about Jenny.”

“I was an idiot Jack, I should have just talked to you not gone and got drunk.”

“Yeah, you were but we can't let this ruin what we have. You hurt me yes, but you apologised and I forgive you completely because I knew you didn't mean it, now we just move on with our lives and we find Eloise and we prepare to have out lives turned upside down again with this new baby.”

“I love you.” Ianto said simply but with every ounce of feeling he could put into the words.

Jack lent forward and pressed his lips softly to Ianto's. “I know, I love you too. He replied before kissing him a little longer till Ianto pulled away holding his head.

“How's the hangover, we need to leave soon to go to the lake.” Jack asked.

“A little better I think, shower might help.” Ianto replied as he sipped the coffee and slid his legs out the bed and his feet onto the floor.

“Finish your coffee, I'll go and get it started for you.” Jack pressed a very soft kiss to Ianto's forehead and left the room, heading for the bathroom, as he reached the door Claire emerged from it.

“Is he back?” She asked quietly.

“Yeah, late last night, drunk.”

“Is he okay?”

“Huge hangover but he'll be fine.”

“You okay?”

Jack nodded. “I think so, yes.”

“Want to tell me what you fought about, can I help?”

“Let me start a shower for Ianto and I'll meet you in the kitchen.”

“Okay.” She told him and headed downstairs to make them both coffee.

Once Ianto was in the shower Jack went to find Claire, she was sat at the kitchen table sipping from her coffee mug between bites of toast and gestured towards more toast and coffee she had prepared for Jack. He sat down opposite her and took a long gulp of coffee before speaking.

“I might as well tell you as it will become obvious in a few months and will affect your job.” He began.

Claire looked worried, was she going to lose her position with what she now considered her family.

“It's nothing like that.” Jack smiled, knowing what she was thinking. “Okay, how do you feel about being a nanny to another baby?”

“Gwen's baby?” She asked, they had already told her that their friend was expecting.

“No, the baby brother or sister for Caden and Eloise.”

“You're ... having another baby?” She stuttered.

Jack nodded, truly smiling for the first time since Eloise's kidnap.

“You, you're pregnant? I get to see you pregnant? A pregnant man, shit!” She exclaimed.

“Yes, to all the above.” Jack told her.

“Wow!” She grinned, then her expression dropped. “Is this what you and Ianto fought about?”

“Yeah, he thought it was wrong to be having a baby when Eloise was missing. I knew how he felt as it was my first thought but the Doctor made me realise it was wrong to see it like that.” Jack paused. “But Ianto got so upset he wouldn't listen to me, he said he needed time to think and went to the pub.”

Jack didn't tell her that Ianto had told him to have an abortion, nor was he going to tell her about him kissing Jenny, both of those things were too personal and she didn't need to know.

“And now?” She asked.

“Someone put him straight, a friend, she told him he should think about the bigger picture, how he would feel if, well if something happened to the baby and how much he was hurting me. She made him see sense, see what he really wanted and he came home and apologised.”

“I bet he's wishing he hadn't got drunk.”

“More than you'll ever know.” Jack replied. “But I knew he didn't mean it, made it easy for me to forgive him.”

“So, how pregnant are you?” Claire asked, trying to see if there was any sign of a bump.

“Only three weeks, I had no idea, the Doctor told me.”

“How did he know?”

“The TARDIS, as you know, it's a clever thing that machine.”

“Little bit of a shock then.”

“Yeah, a little but now we have something positive to concentrate on while we find Eloise.”

“You're leaving for the lake soon?”

“As soon as Ianto is ready, but I'm positive she's not down in that lake.”

“And then taking Caden to the TARDIS?”

“The minute we get back, if he and Eloise do have a telepathic link we can help him develop it and use it to find her.”

“Ianto's parents are coming by today, they want to spend with Caden.”

“We'll see them when we get back from the lake, I can hear Ianto coming down the stairs now.”

“I'll be praying they don't find them in the lake.” Claire told him solemnly.

“No need, she won't be down there!”

Jack moved from his seat and met Ianto in the hall, Ianto looked a little better than he had before he had gone in the shower but he knew his head must still be throbbing. Shrugging their coats on against the cool September air they headed out into the bright sunshine, both seeing it as a good omen and climbed into their car. The drive to the lake was spent quietly, Ianto was still nursing his hangover and sat with his eyes closed as they travelled while Jack broke a few speed limits in haste to get to the lake.

TBC


	27. Chapter 27

Arriving at the lake they could see the police were already there and from what they could tell the divers were already in the lake, after parking the car they were met by Andy.

“How long they been down there?” Jack asked as they exited the car.

“About fifteen minutes, they've found the car which was empty but are just searching the surrounding area.”

“That's a good sign, yes?” Ianto asked.

“The doors of the car are closed and the windows only half open so if anyone was in there when it sank they would still be in the car, it's just a precaution.”

Jack nodded. “Thanks for this Andy, we'll stay till they've finished, just to reassure ourselves what we are already hoping.”

“It's five days now Andy, the third day of the news reports, has there been nothing of any use yet?” Ianto wanted to know.

“Sorry mate, we've had a few calls and chased a couple of what seemed like leads but they came to nothing.”

“Why didn't you tell us?” Ianto demanded.

“For the very reason that they came to nothing, the minute we get a definite lead you will both be the first to know.”

“We might have a lead of our own, we will also let you know if we get anything useful.” Jack told Andy as he reached for Ianto's hand and squeezed it reassuringly.

“Any help you need Jack, Ianto, just call. You know I'll do anything to help get your little girl back.”

“We know Andy, thanks.” Ianto replied.

The divers surfaced in a fanfare of bubbles just before they broke the surface, Andy rushed over to them telling Jack and Ianto to stay where they were and after a few minutes that felt like hours he was back at their side.

“No sign of them, I don't believe they went down with the car it was just to get rid of evidence.” Andy told them.

“Let's hope what we think will be a new lead is right.” Jack told him, not needing to mention the fact they were completely out of leads now.

“I hope so Jack, let me know the minute you think you know something, I'll do the same and both of you ...” He trailed off but they both knew what he meant, that he cared for them and their family.

They headed home with a spark of hope in their hearts, even though they were positive they wouldn't find the body of their daughter at the bottom of the lake now it had been confirmed they could get on with finding their daughter alive and well. As soon as they entered they house Caden flew at them, leaping into Jack's arms as he was the closest.

“Daddy, dada.” He shouted. “You're home.”

“We've missed you too bub.” Ianto told him, kissing his son on the cheek as they walked through the house and into the living room.

Ianto's parents were sat in the armchairs, judging by the frozen picture on the TV they had been watching Caden's favourite movie of the moment with him. They both looked at them with a look that asked silently if the car had been empty and not the grave of their granddaughter and both sighed quietly when relief when Ianto moved over to them and told them she wasn't in the lake.

“We have to take Caden somewhere soon.” Jack told them, putting the little boy down on the sofa.

“TARDIS TARDIS TARDIS” Caden chanted at the top of his voice, bouncing on the seat beside them.

“TARDIS?” Carys enquired.

“Oh just a local playground, we promised to take him if he was good.” Jack told them as Ianto turned so his parents couldn't see his face, raised a finger to his lips and motioned for Caden to 'Shh'.

Caden gave a good impression of his daddy and pouted before sitting quietly and pressing the play button on the DVD remote resuming his movie as Claire walked into the room with plates of sandwiches.

“You're not going anywhere till you have eaten.” She told them, with a no nonsense tone to her voice.

“Yes ma'am.” Jack said, giving her a mock salute and taking a sandwich from the plate.

“Coffee for everyone?” She asked, placing the plate on the coffee table.

Various answers of “Yes”, “Please”, “Thanks” etc followed including from Caden.

“I think you're a little young for coffee young man.” His granddad told him.

“No fair.” Caden pouted again, he really was his daddies son Ianto thought to himself as he reached for a sandwich.

“When you're older, milk?” Ask Claire.

“Yes please, chocolate?”

“Come and help me?”

“Yep!” Caden replied, jumping off the sofa, movie forgotten.

Jack and Ianto sat on the sofa, both itching to get Caden to the TARDIS but not wanting to rush out on Ianto's parents, even they would both understand if they explained it was to do with finding Eloise. As they sat eating the sandwiches and waiting for the coffee Jack rested his hand unconsciously on his flat stomach, caressing it slowly without thinking. When he realised that Carys was looking at his questionably he suddenly became aware of what he was doing and stopped, moving his hand to his side and looking away from her.

“Alan.” She said to her husband. “Would you get my scarf from the car, my neck is aching.”

“Sure love.” He replied, getting up from his chair and heading out the room and house.

“Am I imaging things?” She asked, looking both at Jack and Ianto.

“Imaging what mam?” Ianto asked.

“Am I going to be a grandmother again?”

“How ...” Ianto began flabbergasted at her statement.

“Jack was being all protective of his stomach.” She grinned.

“Could just be wind.” Jack tried to joke.

“Don't you try and tell me you're not pregnant, I can see it in your eyes, that little bit of happiness behind the sadness.” She told him, moving from her chair and across the room. “Congratulations.”

She kissed them both on the cheek, she knew they had wanted another child and sensed they were a little uneasy about it happening at this time.

“My lips are sealed, it'll be something wonderful to announce once we find Eloise.” She reassured them.

“Thanks mam.” Ianto replied.

“How many weeks?” She asked.

“Only about three, so we weren't going to tell anyone yet, only Claire knows.” Jack told her.

“And it shall stay that way, I promise.”

They heard the front door close and knew Ianto's dad was on his way back in so Carys went back to her chair, albeit with a small smile on her face and he was followed into the room by Claire carrying the tray of coffee's for everyone and Caden's chocolate milk. Once they had consumed they sandwiches and drained their coffee mugs Jack and Ianto told Ianto's parents they need to go and chase up a lead about Eloise and that they were talking Caden with them. After agreeing to call them later to let them know if they found anything out they left with Caden, strapping him into the car and heading to the hub.

TBC


	28. Chapter 28

As the three of them entered the hub they were met by Gwen who was clutching a large brown envelope and looking rather nervous making them so, even more when Donna appeared by their side and asked Caden if he wanted to play in the TARDIS and giving them an worried look as Caden took her and hand and went with her happily.

“Jack, Ianto, you need to see this.” Gwen told him, holding up the envelope that had the words 'Harkness-Jones' scrawled across the front in untidy handwriting. “The others are in the conference room, lets go up there.”

“What's in it Gwen?” Jack asked as they climbed the steps to the conference room.

“In a moment Jack.” She replied, he voice strained with worry.

Chloe, Damien and the Doctor were all sat around the conference table and had the same worried expression Gwen had as they entered, Jack and Ianto sat on chairs close to each other and waited for someone to tell them what was going on.

Gwen cleared her throat. “We were going to keep this from you and try and sort it out ourselves but we felt you should know.”

“Know what?” Jack asked.

Gwen handed him the envelope, Jack pulled out the contents. It was a pile of photographs, a lot of them rather blurred but there was no doubt of what they were. Pictures of Jack and Ianto dealing with the Weevils that had got Damien and Chloe trapped in the abandoned house a few days earlier, pictures of the SUV and their own car parked side by side, pictures of Ianto stood by the bay alone and then with Jack. Jack glanced at Ianto before they went through the rest, a picture of Ianto walking away from Jack, Ianto in the pub, Ianto leaving the pub with Jenny and finally a picture taken through Jenny's kitchen window of Ianto and Jenny kissing.

Ianto couldn't bring himself to look at the others, let alone speak. There were two things he didn't want them to know about the night before, the first being how he had treated Jack and the second which was in clear evidence in front of them. Ianto got up slowly and quietly from his chair and headed out the room, going down to the archives where he could be alone. He had no idea who had taken the photographs or why but he wasn't sure how he was going to face the others again, somehow them knowing was worse than admitting it to Jack.

Jack put the photo's on the table and looked into the envelope, spotting the letter that was pressed against the back of it, he drew it out and turned it over to read.

'I want £50, 000 in used notes or I take the pictures to the press. Don't call the police or I'll take the pictures to the press. You have twenty four hours, meet me with the money at midday tomorrow in the parking garage.'

There was no name, just the instructions.

“Damien, test for fingerprints, this is an amateur trying to make a fast buck, see if he has a criminal record.”

“Sure Jack.” Damien took it from him carefully and headed off to test it.

Jack looked at the others, he knew they were all wondering about the last photo.

“I know all about it, it was last night, Ianto got drunk and this woman, Jenny offered to help him if he wanted to talk. He said yes and then ... kissed her, but she didn't let him get away with it and talked some sense into him, made him come home to me.” Jack told them.

“You know her?” Gwen asked.

“Her children go to the same school as ...” Jack gulped, unable to finish the sentence. “These pictures, we need to find who's trying to blackmail us and make them realise it's never going to happen.”

“I'll give Damien a hand.” Chloe said, leaving the room, she glanced at the Doctor.

“Just going to make sure Caden's not running rings around Donna.” The Doctor added, following Chloe out the door.

Gwen moved to the chair next to Jack, she could see the tears welling up in his eyes.

“Jack, we'll get him, this person.” She pointed to the pictures.

“Really could have done without this, as if we won't have enough problems at the moment.” Jack told her sadly.

“Did you really, know, about Ianto and ...”

“Yeah, he confessed to me when he got home last night. We made a pact to never keep secrets from each other, I've already forgiven him.”

“What happened Jack, why did he get that drunk?”

“We had a fight, it's all sorted now.” Jack told her.

“Don't want to talk about it?”

“Not really, no. I need to go and find Ianto, please don't say anything to him about the picture, he really regrets it. I don't want him to feel bad again.”

“Of course Jack, I'll make sure the others understand.”

“Thanks Gwen.”

Jack left the room, he knew exactly where Ianto would be, in the kids playroom. He found him quickly, he was sat in the armchair that had been there since Jack had had the twins, he was holding Eloise's doll and staring into space.

“Thought I'd find you here.” Jack spoke softly as he moved closer to him and perched on the arm of the chair, putting his arm around Ianto's shoulders.

“Everyone knows what an idiot I am now.” Ianto muttered.

“Doesn't matter what they think.”

“I am never drinking again!” Ianto stated.

“Don't say that, I kinda like it when you're tipsy.”

Ianto looked at Jack and saw a hint of a smile playing on his lips.

“Only 'cos it makes me even more uninhibited in bed, if that's at all possible now.”

“Always fun to try.” Jack bent over and kissed him softly on the lips.

“I'm sorry, again.” Ianto told him.

“No more sorry's, it's forgiven and forgotten. Now, lets go and see just how much psychic ability our son has and find our daughter, nothing else matters at the moment, not even that blackmailer. To tell the truth Ianto I really don't give a fuck if people find out the whole truth about Torchwood, finding Eloise is more important than anything else in my mind.”

Ianto pulled Jack off the arm of the sofa and onto his lap, kissing Jack deeply. “I agree.” He told him when the kiss broke.

“When this is all over, we need a holiday, don't care where, just you, me and the twins.” Jack told him as they made their way to the main hub.

“And we can tell the twins about their new little brother or sister then too.”

“Yeah.” Jack agreed at they came to the TARDIS, pushed the doors open and entered to find both the Doctor and Donna playing a game of snakes and ladders with Caden on a huge board on the floor, the Doctor looked up and he had a huge beaming smile on his face.

TBC


	29. Chapter 29

“Jack, Ianto, brilliant news!” The Doctor exclaimed with unbridled excitement. “You were right, so right.” 

“Doctor?” Jack asked, not wanting to get his hopes up in case the Doctor was referring to something completely different to what he hoped.

“The TARDIS, she's been talking to Caden for the last hour and at first he was replying by talking but it wasn't long before he realised she was speaking inside his head and he started to answer the same way, yes, your son and so it would seem your daughter are telepathic.”

“Oh my .... it's true.” Ianto sounded completely gob smacked as if he had never believed it until that moment. “He really can help us find Eloise?”

“No reason why not but it won't be that easy, first we have to get him to talk to Eloise like he has the TARDIS, but that should be simple.” The Doctor told them.

“And the non easy part?” Jack asked.

“She's a child, a small child, whether she can give us anything that can pinpoint where she is, well is something we just have to hope for.”

“But it's a start, and we can pass on any information about her environment she gives us to Andy and he might be able to help.” Ianto replied, his voice full of tentative hope.

“Yes!” The Doctor was getting over excited again. “We will find your daughter, with Caden, the TARDIS, Torchwood and the Police on the case it won't be long before we locate them, I can feel it.”

“So, how do we go about this, what should we do?” Jack asked the Doctor.

“Caden needs to be relaxed and not too tired and then you should ask him if he can sense, hear his sister in his head. At first if she's not trying to talk to him he might not realise what he needs to do, but it shouldn't be long before he'll develop the same skills that his sister seems to have tapped into on her own.”

Ianto nodded. “Okay, I suggest we take Caden home, let him have his favourite meal for dinner and watch his favourite movie. Then an early bath to relax him, telling him he's going to bed early because he has something special to do and that lying in bed would be the best way to do it.” Ianto suggested to the Doctor. “No distractions.” He added, directing his words to Jack.

“Did you say early bed dada? I've not been naughty.” Caden pouted looking hurt, it was the only part of the conversation he had heard.

Ianto picked him up and held him tight. “No bub, you've been very very good and we have a special treat for you if you go to bed early and do something to help find Eloise for us.”

“Ellie's coming home?” His expression perked up a little. “I miss Ellie.”

“Soon we hope, and you can help find her.” Jack told him, moving closer to his husband and son.

“How daddy?”

“That's the special thing for later, so if going to bed early helps find Eloise is that a good reason?”

“Yes daddy.” Caden bounced in his daddy's arms as the Doctor and Donna beamed at him.

There was a knock on the open TARDIS door and Damien stuck his head in. “Jack, Ianto, can I have a word?”

“Sure.” Jack replied as Ianto handed Caden to Donna, he went willingly wanting to finish the board game as he was winning.

Out in the main hub Damien filled them in on his findings on the note from the blackmailer.

“One set of fingerprints that don't belong to any of us, a small time thief by the name of Fred Bloom. Minor convictions for theft, small time, looks like he was just in the right place at the wrong time at first and then maybe turned it into his mission to make some real money.”

“So, we should meet up with him and somehow retcon him?” Ianto suggested.

“No need, he's listed as dead as of just over an hour ago.”

“That's convenient.” Ianto frowned.

“Karma I'd say, he was hit by a get away car, his own get away car after trying to rob a jewellers.”

“Hit by his own get away car?” Ianto repeated, not sure he had heard correctly.

“Yeah.” Damien couldn't stop the small chuckle that escaped his lips.

“Serves the slime ball right.” Jack retorted. “Make sure you destroy all those photo's, find his address and see if you can get hold of the negatives, or at least the camera if it's a digital one and delete them from it's memory card.

“On it.” Damien told him, moving to his workstation to get the man's address.

“Take Chloe with you.” Jack called out to him, just in case the man wasn't working alone and he found the house occupied.

“Sure Jack.” He called back, grabbing his jacket as Chloe appeared after hearing the exchange and they left via the cog door.

“I need coffee!” Ianto stated. “Then home to begin the winding down of our son.”

“Good idea.” Jack agreed, pulling Ianto into his arms and kissing him tenderly. “She'll be home soon, I know she will.”

“I feel hopeful for the first time she went missing.” Ianto replied. “It might less than a week but it feels like years.”

“When we get her back I think we should change their school, I know it's a million to one chance that it could happen again but I'd rather find one with more security.” Jack suggested.

Ianto nodded. “I agree, first a holiday and then Chloe can home school them till we find a school that we think is suitable.”

“Should I ask the Doctor if he will take us somewhere, another planet, another time?”

“No, I think we should just go somewhere in the UK, somewhere ... normal.” Ianto replied.

“Somewhere near the seaside.” Jack suggested.

“Yep, whatever the weather does, we'll make the most of it.”

“It's decided. Now, I do believe you mentioned coffee?”

“You do realise you're back on decaf along with Gwen now, don't you?”

Jack groaned. “Do I have to?” He pouted.

“You know you do, and you know it's for our baby so you won't complain!”

“Okay, okay, same one as last time?”

“Yeah, at least I have to make it for Gwen too so having it in the hub won't look suspicious.”

“Do you have some already?” Jack frowned.

“Yep, I gave Gwen instructions on what to buy when she told us she was pregnant.”

“Okay ... stop talking and go make the coffee!” Jack said kissing him briefly and then giving him a push in the direction of the kitchenette.

Jack wandered back in to the TARDIS, rested his shoulders against the wall and watched as Caden played with the Doctor and Donna, yelling in excitement a few minutes later as he won the game.

“Ready to go home soon bub? Dada's just make the grown up's some drinks and then we'll go home and have whatever you want for dinner.”

“Okay daddy.” Caden replied before disappearing deeper into the TARDIS, Jack went to run after him.

“It's okay, the TARDIS won't let him get lost or into any trouble.” The Doctor told him.

“Thank you Doctor.”

“For what Jack?”

“For being here, helping us find out Caden is telepathic.”

“You're family Jack, all of you. Any time you need me, I'll always come to help.”

Jack pulled his friend into his arms and gave him a hug, holding him tight before brushing his lips across his cheek in an affectionate manner before releasing him again as Donna watched with tears in her eyes at the emotion in the room.

TBC


	30. Chapter 30

Caden had insisted on spaghetti with meatballs for his dinner, which was good in that it was simple to make but it took him forever to eat and Jack and Ianto were trying their best not to rush him followed by chocolate ice cream for pudding. As soon as he was finished and the dirty dishes were in the dishwasher they ran his bath, both of them knelt on the floor of the bathroom playing with his toy boats with him.

By the time they had got him out the bath, dried and into his pyjamas it was a little after six, about an hour earlier than his normal bedtime but he kept his promise to go to bed early without any fuss. He lay flat on his back with the covers up to his chest, watching quietly as his daddy turned off the main light and just put on the night light so there was just a soft glow and his dada closed the curtains before Jack sat on the edge of his bed and Ianto pulled the small wooden chair next to it.

“We want you to do something very special for us, for your sister, you want to do that?” Jack asked him.

“To get Ellie back?” He asked.

“Yes bub.” Ianto told him.

“Okay.” Caden told them.

“This afternoon when you were with the Doctor and Donna you were talking to the TARDIS in your head?” Jack asked him.

Caden nodded. “I like the TARDIS.”

“Well, those times when you heard Eloise in your head that was her talking to you like the TARDIS did.” Jack explained.

“Really?” Caden eyes widened in wonder.

“Yep, have you ever tried to talk to Eloise, when she didn't talk into your head first?” Ianto asked.

“No dada, should I have?” His lip wobbled a little thinking he was in trouble for not doing so.

“Hey, it's okay, we just wondered. How would you feel about trying to do it now?” Jack asked him, stroking the top of his head.

“What if I can't?”

“It doesn't matter, all we want is for you to try.” Ianto replied.

“I want Ellie home.” Caden told them, his eyes misting over.

“We all do Caden, we think you might be able to help find your sister, she would be really proud of you.” Jack told him.

“What do I have to do daddy?”

“I want you to close your eyes and think about Eloise, nothing but Eloise and then talk to her with your head, just like you did with the TARDIS, ready to try?” Jack asked.

“Yes daddy.”

Caden closed his eyes, they watched with baited breath as he lay there looking amazing calm unlike themselves. Their insides were whirling around like washing machines as they hoped this would work, it was the first time Jack had ever wish he had been telepathic. Caden's breathing was calm and even and they just watched him, not wanting to break the moment.

In reality it was only a few minutes before they realised something was happening but it felt like hours, a smile spread across Caden's face as he lay there and his lips were moving very slightly and wordlessly. Jack and Ianto looked at each other and then back at their son, holding hands as they waited for Caden to tell them what had happened.

Ten minutes later Caden opened his eyes, still smiling. “I spoke to Ellie, I spoke to Ellie.”

“What did you say bub?” Ianto asked him.

“I told her I wanted her to come home, she said that she was missing us and wanted to come home to but the lady who kept telling her she was her new mum said she was never going back to her daddies.”

“Bitch!” Ianto exclaimed before thinking, Caden looked at him.

“Bad word dada.”

“I know, sorry, dada won't say it again.” Ianto told him, ignoring the look of amusement on Jack's face.

“What else did she tell you?” Jack asked.

“That the lady wasn't letting her go to school and she wanted to and that they were in a small house where there wasn't anymore nearby and that she was bored.”

“Could be cottage on farm land, or just somewhere rural. Did she stop talking to you?” Ianto asked him.

“Yep, she said she had to go for bath time, did I do good daddy, dada?”

“You did brilliantly Caden, you are a very clever boy.” Jack told him. “Maybe you can talk to her again, see if she knows anymore about where she is?”

Caden nodded enthusiastically. “Yes, yes daddy.”

“Okay, time for sleep now, we need to speak to the police and tell them what we know.”

“I like helping, night night daddy, night night dada.”

“Sleep tight.” Ianto told him.

“Don't let the bed bugs bite.” Jack finished.

After kissing their son goodnight they left the room and closed the door behind them, moving downstairs to call Andy. Once the call was made, with Andy sighing down the phone when Jack told him he couldn't really tell him how they came across the information Andy asked if they thought they might still be in Wales, Jack told him they didn't know but were hoping so. Andy agreed to check to see if any holiday cottages in the area had been let out recently and then move further afield if need be and to let him know if they discovered anything knew as soon as possible.

“We should eat.” Ianto suggested, they hadn't eaten the same time as Caden as they had both been to nervous.

“Pizza?” Jack asked hopefully.

“Baby? Healthy eating?”

“But one won't hurt.” Jack pouted.

Ianto pulled Jack into his arms. “I'm kidding, I don't want to cook, pizza it is.”

“Usual” Jack asked, picking up the phone again.

“Yep, I'm going to have a beer in celebration that things are looking up at last, you going to join me, we have some alcohol free ones?”

“I thought you were never drinking again?”

“I ...”

“Ianto, it's okay, go get two beers while I order the pizza.”

When Ianto came back from the kitchen Jack was sprawled out on the sofa, he took the bottle of beer Ianto offered him and then pulled him down next to him, wrapping his arms around Ianto's waist.

“We're going to find her Ianto, we're going to get our daughter back.”

“For the first time since she was taken I really believe that, with Caden's help.”

“We can't push him, it'll just upset him if we try, we just have to get him to ask Eloise things she might know and tell him he's doing great no matter what the answer is.” Jack told him.

“I agree, what we really need no is to find out if she is at least still in Wales. If she is it really narrows it down.”

“When I spoke to Andy earlier he told me they are working on a couple of leads from people who called the hotline number, he says if they come to anything he will call us as soon as he gets anything useful.”

“Did he say if they were local?”

“No, but he didn't say they weren't either.” Jack replied, hope in his voice.

The were interrupted by the doorbell, their pizza had arrived. They had the evening to themselves, Claire had left them a note saying she was at her boyfriends but she would come home if they needed her. They knew she was as upset over Eloise as they were and that being with her boyfriend was a comfort to her so they let her be, but they would tell her about Caden the next day when she came back.

TBC


	31. Chapter 31

Ianto spooned against Jack's back as they lie in bed, they had gone to bed early after eating and showering just wanting to snuggle up together.

“We should think of what we want Caden to ask Eloise, she maybe only five but she's bright and she should be able to tell us more about where she's living.” Jack said.

“Yep, if there's trees or a river, pond or anything would help.” Ianto agreed.

“Or if there's fields if there's lots of sheep.” Jack added.

“Wales isn't the only place with sheep Jack!”

“I know, but it might mean they are still in Wales.” Ianto could sense him pouting.

“I know cariad, they must be somewhere pretty rural or they would have been seen.” Ianto suggested.

“Yeah, I'm hoping those leads Andy mentioned come to something, but I'm not holding my breath.”

“Well, something has to happen in our favour soon.” Ianto pondered out loud. “And if it's not Andy then maybe it'll be Caden.”

“I hope so, I can't wait to tell them about the baby.” Jack said a little sadly.

“That's going to be a bit of an odd conversation, I mean they know they don't have a mummy but they don't know anything about where babies come from and, well, it's going to be another secret they will have to keep to themselves about daddy being pregnant.” Ianto said thoughtfully as his hand rubbed back and forth over Jack's still flat belly.

“I never really thought of that, they keep so many secrets already for small children. Perhaps we shouldn't tell them too early, leave it till the baby begins to become obvious.”

“Can you really contain your self that long, I know how much you want to tell them?”

“Sure.” Jack replied, not sounding at all convincing.

“Jack, we will tell them. They are smart kids and of they can keep the secrets of Torchwood then hey can definitely keep the secret that their daddy is pregnant.” Ianto said, kissing the back of his neck.

“Yeah ....” Jack sighed as Ianto kissed his neck again. “That feels good.”

“Your pheromones are rolling off you in waves.” Ianto whispered in his ear. “Those pregnancy hormones are kicking in big time I think.”

“Mmmm ....” Jack murmured as Ianto licked around his earlobe.

“We shouldn't be even thinking of sex ...” Ianto said as his hand travelled up Jack's body and found his nipple, his thumb rubbing over it, making it peak.

“Don't stop.” Jack mumbled. “It doesn't mean we don't care about our daughter, if that phone rang right now I'd be straight out this bed.”

“I guess.” Ianto replied softly as he kissed the top of Jack's spine, feeling his quiver a little under his touch. “Yep, me too.”

“Make love to me Ianto.” Jack almost purred as Ianto sucked on the side of his neck, oh yes Ianto thought, those hormones were kicking in big time.

Ianto kissed the blooming purple mark on Jack's neck before moving his mouth back to the top of his spine, moving his body away from Jack he began to place little butterfly kisses down Jack's back following the path of his spine. Jack rolled over onto his front as Ianto got lower and lower, his arms moving upwards and sliding under his pillow and head as Ianto's tongue licked it's way back up his spine making his moan softly in pleasure.

Fumbling on the bedside table Ianto grasped the lube as he added another love bite to Jack's neck, coating the fingers of one hand before they trailed between Jack's buttocks. His fingertips ghosted over the tight entrance of Jack's body causing Jack to moan a little louder before he used one of them to tease the hole, feeling the muscle quiver and contract a little under his touch before he carefully slid just the tip inside his husband.

“More.” Jack told him, his voice husky with lust.

“Like this?” Ianto replied as his finger disappeared deep inside Jack's arse.

“More.” Jack repeated.

Ianto pulled his finger backwards until it was almost free of the tight muscle and added a second next to it, pushing them both in together slowly then pulling them back and forth as he began to slowly fuck Jack's arse with his fingers as Jack mewled into the pillow beneath his head. When Ianto added a third finger Jack's hips canted, pushing back against Ianto's hand before grinding into the mattress below, his breath coming in short pants.

Moving his hand to his own erection Ianto began to slowly stroke it as the fingers of his other hand moved slowly in and out his lover, watching as Jack writhed in pleasure before his fingers slid from Jack's body and he reached for the lube again as Jack mumbled something incoherent at the loss of his husbands intimate touch. Ianto squeezed the lube over his cock as his hand continued to stroke it, coating it and then rolled Jack back onto his side and stole a long deep kiss before placing the head of his cock against Jack's hole and pushing in slowly.

He didn't stop until he was ball deep and fully seated, the tight heat of Jack's channel around his cock threatening to spill his come instantly if he didn't wait a few moments. Jack twisted his head round, wanting to be kissed again as they lay there not moving, Ianto's lips meeting his as they adjusted to each others bodies until Ianto began to thrust slowly and shallowly into Jack's body, his hand resting on Jack's stomach as he placed small kisses to the back of Jack's neck once more.

Jack reached for Ianto's hand and wrapped it around his own cock, needing some friction of his own as his own hand encouraged Ianto to pump it along with his thrusts. Ianto didn't need much persuading, his hand moving under Jack's as his thrusts got a little faster, wanting it to last for as long as possible he tried to control himself but within a few minutes he was thrusting hard into Jack's arse, his hand pumping Jack's cock just as fast as Jack thrust his hips backwards to meet each of Ianto's.

Ianto heard Jack's breath hitch, the cock in his hand swell just that little bit more as he whispered into Jack's ear how much he loved him. Jack's body tensed for a second or two before Ianto felt his arse contract around his cock, his come spurting over his hand and spilling onto the bed below as Jack moaned out his name. Ianto kept thrusting through Jack's orgasm, extending it for his lover until he couldn't hold back any longer and with a loud groan he emptied himself into Jack before collapsing against his back panting softly.

Jack reached over towards the other bedside table without moving and managed to grasp the edge of the box of tissues and dragged it towards himself, pulling out a wad and using them to clean Ianto's hand and mop of the sticky spill on the bedding below. As he felt Ianto's softening cock beginning to slip out of his body he pulled away releasing it and turned over into his lovers arms, kissing him deeply as he pulled the covers back over them. Neither of them moved, they stay like that just holding each other close, neither of them wanting sleep to claim them as they both shared the unspoken wish that the phone would ring.

Eventually they both drifted into sleep, Jack's pregnancy side effect of tiredness was now beginning to make itself known and the stress of the last week was taking it's toll. Neither of them had got much sleep and their lovemaking had done them a world of good, making them relax without thinking about it. They slept right through till the middle of the next morning, Jack waking first and noticing the time. He left Ianto asleep and went in search of Caden, wondering what the little boy had got him self up to while his daddies were still fast asleep.

Caden wasn't in his bed as expect or in the bathroom so Jack made his way downstairs, as he walked into the living room he was happy to find Claire there watching Caden as he played on the floor at her feet with his Lego, building what looked like an alien spaceship. As soon as Jack spoke, wishing Claire a good morning Caden jumped up and ran at his daddy. Jack swooped him into his arms and carried him to the sofa, sitting them both on it.

“Where's dada?” He demanded.

“Dada's sleeping, he was very tired last night.” Jack told him.

“Okay.” He reached up and stroked over Jack's neck with a finger. “Daddy hurt.”

“No, daddy's fine.” Jack told him before suddenly realising that the love bites on his neck mustn't have faded completely yet, the look on his face making Claire giggle softly. “Just from a fight with an alien.”

“A very friendly one.” Claire retorted before she could stop herself and was very relieved when Jack chuckled with her.

“Sorry.” She told him grinning. “Coffee?”

“Please.” Came Ianto's voice as he entered the room. “What's so amusing?”

“Jack'll tell you.” Claire grinned as she left the room and headed for the kitchen.

“Dada!” Caden exclaimed, scrabbling off the sofa and running towards him.

Ianto crouched down and Caden ran into his arms, he hugged him tight and kissed him on top of the head before Caden went back to his Lego and played quietly. Ianto sat next to Jack as they both watched him play, his hand seeking out Jack's.

“He's going to find his sister, isn't he?” Ianto whispered.

“Oh yeah, I really believe he will.” Jack whispered back as Caden suddenly stopped what he was doing and closed his eyes and smiled to himself.

TBC


	32. Chapter 32

They watched transfixed as Caden sat smiling to himself, his lips moving slightly in the silent way he seem to have developed while talking to his twin via their connection, it was nearly ten minutes before his eyes opened and he leapt up from the floor and ran over to where his fathers were sitting.

“Hey bub.” Ianto said as he pulled Caden onto his lap.

“Ellie said they went for a walk this morning and there was a field full of cows and the farmer was leading them to be milked, that woman told her so.”

“Cows eh?” Jack asked.

“Yep, but I asked her if there was sheep too and she said that there was. She said there was big fields and and she could see lots of trees like the woods as well but they hadn't been there.”

“Did she say anything else about the farmer or the cows?” Ianto asked.

“She said that they were big, huge and those black and white ones.” Caden told them proudly.

“Friesians.” Ianto told the little boy. “So I guess they are in the countryside somewhere, but we still don't know if they are still in Wales.”

“Daddy, Ellie said the farmer spoke like dada does sometimes and the lady didn't understand him.” Caden said excitedly.

“Their still in Wales, I'd bet my life on it!” Ianto stated.

“Caden you are a very very good boy, daddy's going to phone that nice policeman, Andy now and tell him to confine their search to Wales now for your sister.” Jack told him.

“You going to tell him that it was me?” Caden asked.

“It's one of those little secrets of ours bub.” Ianto told him. “But it's a good secret, yes?”

“Yes dada.” Caden beamed, slid off his dada's lap and went back to playing with his Lego.

Claire walked into the room holding three mugs of coffee and hand them theirs.

“Thought you'd like some time alone, when I heard you talking to Caden. It's true then, he and Eloise have a psychic connection?” Claire asked.

“Yes, it's it fantastic?” Jack grinned at her.

“And from the sound of it he could help find Eloise?” Claire added.

“It's looking that way, he's worked out how to talk to her and she's slowly giving us, via her brother information about where she's living.” Ianto told her excitedly.

“Brilliant news.” Claire told them, sitting down on the armchair.

“I'm going to call Andy.” Jack said as he got up from the sofa and went to get the phone.

“When we've got Eloise back we're going to take the kids on holiday somewhere, not for long but just so we can be together as a family.” Ianto told Claire.

“It'll be good for all of you, you rarely get time as a family anyway, despite ... do you want me to come?”

“No, no, you can have some holiday too, do whatever you want.” Ianto told her.

“You sure? I could look after the kids if you and Jack want some alone time?”

“This holiday is for us to be with the kids, alone time won't come into it.”

Claire smiled. “Then I hope you get it very soon.”

“Right.” Jack stated as he walked back into the room. “Andy's increasing the manpower on the search of Wales, it's a big place but with the information Caden gave us at least it narrows it down to farmland.”

“Maybe we should, you know, drive around and see if we can find her?” Ianto suggested.

“Andy seemed to think we should just let them do their job.” Jack replied, but actually thinking Ianto had a good idea.

“Since when did we do what other people said?” Ianto said, cocking an eyebrow.

“You're right, I mean what harm could it do, we might find her.” Jack's eyes shined with hope.

“Caden, you stay here with Claire okay?” Ianto told him.

“Sure dada.” Caden replied, completely engrossed in whatever he was building with his Lego.

“Claire, anything happens call us, we'll both have our mobiles with us.” Jack said as he and Ianto left the sofa and headed out the room to get dressed.

“Of course.” She called after them.

They were dressed and out the door in record time, with no actual idea where they were headed they just drove until the were out the city limits and heading into the countryside. For now they were just looking for cows, big black and white cows. There was no way they would be able to cover the whole of Wales in the afternoon before it got dark but that fact that they were actually doing something to find their daughter made them both feel like they were doing something useful at last.

They had barely been on the road for an hour when Ianto's mobile rang, he answered it instantly when he saw Claire's name on the display.

“Little snippet from Caden, he said the woman is trying to call Eloise 'Susan'.” She told him.

“Susan? Sounds familiar.”

“Yeah, I think it was her own little girls name.” Claire replied

“Thanks Claire, see you later.” Ianto told her, flipping his phone closed.

“Fuck.” Ianto muttered under his breath.

“What did she say?” Jack asked.

“Caden said the woman her took her is calling her Susan, the name of her own little girl.”

“That woman is going to pay big time when we find her, I don't care how upset she is over losing her own daughter anymore. Taking our daughter, making us suffer ...” Jack trailed off, his voice cracking with emotion he pulled over to the side of the road and parked.

Jack turned his head and looked at Ianto, Ianto could see the determined look in his eyes and knew it mirrored his own. Ianto reached over, unbuckling their seatbelts and pulled Jack into his arms till they both gained control over their emotions again before they began their search once more.

*

“Susan sweetheart, please at your lunch.” The woman said to the small girl.

“My names Eloise, not Susan.” Eloise pouted.

“Be good for mummy and eat your lunch love.” Rebecca told her.

“I am good, you're not my mummy and you're the naughty one, I want to go back home to my daddies!” Eloise stamped her little foot on the floor.

“All little girls need a mummy.”

“No!” Eloise told her.

Eloise ran out the room and up the stairs to the bedroom she was sleeping in, she threw herself down on the bed as tears ran down her face. The woman wasn't nasty to her, in fact all she did was buy her treats and make her nice meals but it wasn't home, she missed her daddies and her brother like mad and wondered if they would ever find her.

Closing her eyes she did the only thing that made her happy, blocking out Rebecca telling her she would keep her lunch warm for her till she was hungry she began to think of her brother and her tears stopped and a smile crossed her face as he began to talk to her in her head.

TBC


	33. Chapter 33

When it got so dark they couldn't see anything other than the short distance in front of them where the headlights shone they head back home, neither of them had said much for the last couple of hours. They were both lost in their thoughts as they scanned the surrounding scenery for something, anything that looked like Caden had described from what Eloise had told him but they came up empty.

They weren't really in any mood for company when they got back, they just wanted to spend time with their son before he went to bed and then do the same themselves so they were a little put out to see Gwen and Rhys's car parked outside their house. They knew their friends were only there because they cared about them but neither of them was sure they would be any kind of company.

Raising the key to the unlock the front door Ianto hesitated for a moment, he felt like just turning around, getting back in the car and driving away again. Jack's arms wrapped around him from behind and he lent back into his embrace, feeling Jack's warm breath on the back of his neck before his lips pressed a small kiss to it.

“I know exactly what your thinking.” Jack told him quietly. “We can't.”

“I just want to be alone with you and Caden, I'm not sure I can cope with Gwen and the baby talk that's bound to ensue.”

“Gwen wouldn't be that heartless, there's no way she's going to mention the baby with Eloise missing.”

“I know, I do really, I'm just looking for an excuse to run.”

Jack turned Ianto round to face him and placed a chaste kiss on his lips just as the front door opened to find Claire stood there holding Caden, she placed him back on his feet before she spoke.

“He insisted that he had heard you car and when you didn't come in he made he bring him to the door and lift him up to open it so he could show me your car was there.”

“Sorry bub, daddy and I just need a moment before we came if to ...” Ianto trailed off, not sure what to tell their son.

“Auntie Gwen and Uncle Rhys are here.” He told them excitedly. “They bought me a new Lego toy to build.”

“That was nice of them.” Jack said as they finally entered the room. “I hope you said thank you?”

“Of course I did daddy.” Caden pouted.

“I'll make some more coffee.” Claire told them as they walked through the house towards the living room and she disappeared in the direction of the kitchen as Jack took Ianto's hand and they walked through the doorway to the living room.

Gwen and Rhys were sat at one end of the sofa, hands entwined in front of them and the floor was covered in Lego. Caden moved back to his position on the floor and went back to building his new toy as Jack sat down on one of the armchairs pulling Ianto down with him, holding him tight on his lap.

“Any news?” Rhys asked.

“Did Claire tell you anything while we were out?” Jack asked.

“We've not been here long, just that you got some kind of clue that Eloise was still in Wales and had gone out searching for her.” Gwen replied.

“When we were at the hub the TARDIS confirmed the twins are telepathic, we've been getting little clues from Eloise as to where she is via Caden.” Jack told them, they hadn't really told the others why they were there with Caden.

“That is bloody brilliant!” Rhys exclaimed.

“So, Caden can help find Eloise?” Gwen asked, wanting clarification.

“Yep.” Ianto grinned. “So far we believe that she is still in Wales and is living somewhere rural near or on a farm. There's also a wood nearby and cows.”

“That's why we were out, looking around trying to find somewhere that match the description.” Jack added.

“You passed this information onto Andy?” Gwen asked.

“Yeah, but he doesn't know who we came about it, don't want to go in to explanations about the twins more than we have to.” Jack told her.

“I can understand that.” Rhys nodded.

“Hopefully Eloise will be able to tell us more and more through Caden and combined with Andy's help we're hoping we'll have her soon.” Ianto added.

“Anything else she's said, she's ... not being hurt is she?” Gwen asked.

“Doesn't seem like it, we also know the woman is trying to call her Susan, the name of her own deceased daughter.” Jack told her.

“I bet Eloise isn't having any of that, she's too much like her dada!” Rhys said making Jack and Gwen chuckle.

“Yep, she's more like me than Jack I suppose.” Ianto said thoughtfully. “But Caden is definitely his daddies son.”

“I'm both your son.” Caden piped up, confused look in his face.

“Just means you are more like your daddy in the things that you do than your dada sweetheart.” Gwen told him.

Caden thought about it for a moment. “Okay.” And went back to his toys.

“Time for your bath soon young man.” Claire told him.

“Can I help?” Gwen asked Claire before looking at Jack and Ianto.

“Practice.” Jack grinned. “You'll need all you can get.”

“Sorry, I promised Rhys I wouldn't mention the baby.”

“It's okay Gwen, we're happy for you.” Ianto told her.

“Baby?” Asked Caden wide eyed.

“I'm going to have a baby, someone for you and Eloise to play with.” Gwen told him.

“Is it in your tummy?”

“Yes.”

“Wow!” Caden exclaimed. “I want a baby brother, sisters are okay but boys are better.”

Neither Gwen nor Rhys noticed the little secretive look that passed between Jack and Ianto but they did notice the small chaste kiss, Gwen thought it was a little odd but she kept the thought to herself.

“So, we going to get you in the bath then?” Claire asked Caden. “Then perhaps Auntie Gwen will read you a story?”

“Love to.” Gwen replied, getting to her feet and following Claire and Caden up to the bathroom.

“She's desperate to have this baby, we've waited a long time for this to happen.” Rhys smiled.

“We know, we're both happy for you.” Ianto told him. “Okay, who wants more coffee?”

“You know the answer to that question when you say it will always be yes, don't you?” Rhys replied.

“Yep.” Ianto grinned, slipped off Jack's lap and headed for the kitchen.

He had only got the mugs out the cupboard when he heard a yell of pain from the other room, Jack, he dropped the teaspoon he was holding and ran through, Jack was as white as a sheet and clutching his stomach.

“Jack, what is it?” Rhys was asking.

“Get Chloe.” Jack groaned.

TBC


	34. Chapter 34

Ianto grabbed the cordless phone and hit the speed dial for Chloe, biting his lip as he waited for her to pick up and not realising he was holding is breath until she did so.

“Ianto?” She asked as she answered it.

“Yep.” He replied before moving out the living room and into the kitchen reassured that Rhys was talking to Jack and trying to keep him calm. “It's Jack, we need you to come to the house.”

“Consider me on my way, what's wrong?”

Ianto closed the kitchen door and his voice dropped to a whisper. “He's in pain, his stomach ... Chloe he's just over three weeks pregnant.”

“Shit! Sorry, I'm on my way.”

“Please, don't say anything to the others.”

“I won't.” Chloe promised. “Be there soon.”

Ianto heard her front door slam closed just before she cut the call, he flung open the kitchen door and ran back to the living room where Rhys was crouched down in front of Jack who was sat in the armchair with his hand pressed to his stomach and a look of pure fear on his face. Rhys looked up as Ianto entered the room, got to his feet and moved out the way, still not really knowing what was going on.

“Rhys, can you go up and make sure the rest of them stay upstairs? Try not to panic them, especially Caden, please? I don't care what you tell them as to why you're up there but don't mention he's in pain.” Ianto asked him.

“'Course mate.” Rhys gave Jack one more worried look and then went to do as Ianto asked.

“Jack, Chloe's on her way, come on up.” Ianto took his hands and pulled him to his feet causing Jack to groan out in pain again. “Lie on the sofa cariad.”

Jack did what Ianto told him without question, lying on his back as Ianto put a pillow under his head, his eyes mirroring Ianto's as they glistened with unshed tears of panic.

“Am I losing the baby? I can't go through that again.” Jack said in a whisper, flashbacks of the last time before the twins were born running through his head.

“I don't know Jack, but I hope not, it could be anything.” Ianto told him in hushed tones before placing a kiss to his forehead.

“I'm going to kill that woman when we find her if I lose this baby.” Jack said through gritted teeth.

“You won't be the only one.” Ianto agreed with him.

They could hear laughing from upstairs, they had no idea what Rhys had told them but they were both thanking him silently for whatever it was. When the door bell rang a few minutes later Ianto ran through to the house and let Chloe in, she had her large doctor's bag with her so he guessed she had bought the hand held scanner with her.

“Where is he?” Chloe asked as she slipped her coat off and hung it on a hook in the hall.

“Living room.” Ianto replied, leading the way, Chloe rushing straight to his side.

“How you doing Jack?” She asked concerned.

“Hurts so bad.” Jack groaned.

“Ianto told me, about the baby, let me scan you okay?”

“Please, tell me the baby is okay.” Jack's pleaded.

“Ianto, help Jack loosen his clothes.”

Ianto pulled Jack's t shirt up and unbuttoned and unzipped his jeans and then pushing them down a little lower on Jack's hips to make the scanning easier while Chloe got it ready.

“Ready?” She asked.

“Yeah.” Jack replied, closing his eyes as she put the scanner over his belly and moved it to the place where the twins had started their lives.

After a couple if excruciatingly quiet minutes she flicked a switch and turned the sound on and the sound of the racing heartbeat of the tiny foetus filled the room. Jack's eyes shot open as Ianto too and then squeezed his hand tightly.

“The baby?” Jack asked.

“The baby seems to be just fine, you on the other hand need to rest.” Chloe told Jack.

“But ...” Began Jack.

“No buts Jack, this has been brought on by the stress of the last week in my opinion, if you don't rest you could risk losing the baby.” Chloe told him bluntly.

“Until we get Eloise back I can't see that happening.” Jack told her.

“You want to lose the baby?”

“No.”

“Then do as you're told Jack, there are lots of people looking for her. I know you're her daddy and feel like you should be doing everything but you also need to think of yourself and that new life inside you.”

“He will rest.” Ianto told her, looking at Jack as if to tell him if he didn't he would have hell to pay.

“I'll hold you to that Ianto.” She told him, taking Jack's blood pressure and temperature.

“Jack, your temperature is fine but your blood pressure is up a little but that's to be expected with what you are experiencing, I want you to take a couple if paracetamol's and rest.”

“Okay.” Jack replied resignedly, he knew that he would really do anything she told him to keep hold of the baby.

“Can I get you anything?” Ianto asked as she packed her medical paraphernalia back into her bag. “Coffee?”

“I'd love one, then I need to get back home, I ran out on James.”

“Sorry.” Jack murmured.

“Not a problem Jack, when did you find out you were expecting?” She asked as Ianto headed off to get her coffee.

“A few days ago, I had no idea until the Doctor informed me that the TARDIS had told him that I was.”

“At least you knew, if your hadn't you might have panicked even more.” Chloe suggested.

“Yeah, probably.” Jack agreed.

“The Doctor is loving being in the hub, he seems to have taken a real shine to Myfanwy. He and Donna are both trying to come up with a way for the TARDIS to help find Eloise.”

“He's been a great help already, somehow I just know we will have her home soon.” Jack told her as Ianto entered the room carrying a tray with three mugs on it.

“Decaf.” Jack grumbled as he took his mug.

“It better be.” Chloe told him as she sipped hers appreciatively. “How the pain Jack?”

“A little better.” He said as he swallowed the painkillers Ianto had bought in with the coffee's.

“I prescribe bed and sleep and don't argue with me, I remember from last time that pregnancy made you sleep more.”

“Yes ma'am.” Jack told her, giving her a weak smile.

Chloe drained her mug. “Right, I must be going, left something on the burner.” She winked at Jack making him chuckle.

“Have a good night with James.” Ianto told her, not missing her meaning as he let her out the door. “Is the baby really okay?”

“It's fine Ianto, but he must rest.”

“He will, thanks Chloe.”

Chloe kissed him on the cheek. “You're welcome.” She told him before walking to her car.

TBC


	35. Chapter 35

Once Chloe was gone Ianto went back to Jack, who was still lying on the sofa. His eyes closed and his hand resting on his belly, Ianto crouched down next to him and placed a small kiss to his lips as Jack opened his eyes.

“I'm going to politely get rid of our guests while I run you a bath, how's the pain?” Ianto asked him.

“Almost gone, what will you tell them? They must have know someone came.”

“Just that you're not feeling well, that you have a bad stomach.”

“Thanks, sorry.” Jack said quietly.

“Nothing to be sorry about, back in a minute.”

Ianto found Gwen, Rhys and Claire in Caden's bedroom. Gwen was telling him a story about the shiny lime green kittens they had found, the twins were still very small when they had passed away from natural causes and only knew them from photographs. Caden was giggling at the story as Gwen related to him something that had happened while she and Chloe were feeding them one day.

“Ianto? Something wrong?” Claire asked when he walked into the room, his expression giving his feelings away.

“Jack's not feeling well, stomach bug by the looks of it. I'm sorry Gwen, Rhys, thank you for coming this evening but ...”

Rhys cut him off. “You want us to leave? It's alright mate, consider us gone.”

“He just needs to relax and rest a bit I hope, sure you don't mind?”

“Of course not sweetheart.” Gwen assured him, after telling Caden she would finish the story another night they all left the room except for Ianto.

“Daddy sick?” Caden asked.

“He'll be just fine, bath and bed for him just like when you're not feeling well.”

“Okay dada, night night.”

“Night night Caden, sweet dreams.”

Ianto kissed his son goodnight, quickly started Jack's bath and ran back downstairs to where Rhys and Gwen were saying goodbye to Jack. After Jack convinced them he would be okay Ianto saw them to the door, bidding them goodnight and then went back to Jack. Claire was stood there, obviously wanting to ask them a question.

“Come on, what's really wrong?” She asked bluntly.

“I had bad stomach pains, I thought ... I thought I was losing the baby.” Jack told her.

“But it's okay? It was Chloe that came then?”

“Yep, she thinks it was brought on by stress, prescribed rest and that's what's going to happen.” Ianto replied. “You're baths running Jack, up.”

Ianto held out a hand and helped Jack to his feet.

“You're telling me everything, the baby really is fine?” Claire demanded.

“Yeah, it really is.” Jack told her, hugging her close before Ianto led him to the bathroom.

Once Jack had bathed and was in bed Ianto went back downstairs, Claire had the TV on but he could tell she wasn't really watching it.

“Pains have gone completely now.” Ianto told her. “He's going to be fine if he does as he's told.”

“But we still haven't found Eloise yet, how's he going to avoid being stressed?”

“Well for now no more searching the countryside, he needs to stay here. On the plus side being pregnant makes him very tired so he should get more sleep than normal, we just have to be here for him. If he lost another baby it would devastate him, us.”

“He's lost a baby before?” Claire asked sadly.

“Before we had the twins, it was a complete surprise the pregnancy, we didn't even know he was till he had the miscarriage and at that point we realised just how much we wanted kids.”

“Did you know, that he could get pregnant?”

“Yep, but we had been together for so long and nothing had happened that somehow we thought it wasn't going to happen for us.” Ianto let a small smile cross his face. “When I got involved with Jack the thoughts of having a family went out of my head, I never realised how much I still wanted one till Jack lost that baby.”

“You were with a girl before Jack?” Claire asked, regretting it the instant she said it as sadness crossed Ianto's face. “I'm sorry, none of my business.”

“Lisa, her name was Lisa ... she died, but yes, we had talked of marriage and kids.”

“I'm so sorry.”

“It's okay, in fact if it wasn't for Lisa I would never have met Jack, but that's a story for another day.” Ianto told her, needing to change the subject.

“You ever wish Lisa was still alive?” Claire pushed, she somehow sensed no one had ever asked him that outright.

“I wish ... I wish she hadn't died in the awful way that she did but I know now that although I loved her it was nothing like what I feel for Jack, so in one way I should thank her for bringing us together.” A small tear ran down Ianto's cheek, he brushed it away.

“It's always okay to grieve for lost loves, especially your first one.” Claire told him.

“I know, it's just ... doesn't matter.” Ianto cleared his throat, this was no time to tell her the real story about Lisa. “I need coffee, want some?”

“Please.” Claire told him, watching his retreating back as he left the room and knowing there was more to the Lisa story than he was telling but also knowing not to push the issue.

As Ianto made the coffees he couldn't help but think about Lisa, he hadn't spoken about her in such a long time, barely even to Jack since after his suspension back when Lisa had stopped being Lisa and endangered all their lives as a cyberwoman. But what he had told Claire was the complete truth, he had never loved her as much as he loved Jack.

His thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the front door, Ianto frowned a little at his watch showing the late hour and headed out the kitchen and into the hall just as Claire opened the front door, when he saw who was standing there he stopped routed to the spot. Someone he hadn't seen for a very long time and never had any inclination to see ever again.

Finally he found his voice and growled. “What the hell are you doing here George?”

“Ianto I ...” George began.

“Just go George, get out of my sight.”

“Look Ianto, I'm sorry about, well what happened before. Please let me in, there's something I need to tell you.”

“What, no nasty text messages this time, want to tell me I'm a poof in person?” Ianto snarled.

“No, it's ... look, I think I might have seen Eloise.”

TBC


	36. Chapter 36

“What?” Ianto asked quietly, not sure he had heard right.

“I was in this pub with some mates out by the Beacon Beacons earlier and there was a woman in there with this little girl, no one else seemed to be taking any notice of them but there was something about the girl that look somehow familiar.”

“And?”

“Well I know I haven't seen her since, well at all but I realised she looked like the little girl on the news reports.”

“So, what then?” Ianto asked, keeping him standing on the doorstep as Claire had made herself scarce.

“I went and well, flirted a little with the woman, acted like I was interested her to see if I was right but I came to the conclusion it can't have been them.” George told him. “Because she called the little girl Susan. But since I got home I can't get them out of my head, the more I think about it the more I'm positive it's your daughter.”

“The woman who took her is calling her Susan, that's something we haven't made public.” Ianto told him, trying his best to keep his cool with his cousin. “You have to tell me where the pub is.”

“How do you know, about the woman calling her Susan?” George frowned.

“Hard to explain, look, where is it?” Ianto demanded, raising his voice.

George named a village not far from where the car had been dumped in the lake, a look of fear crossing his face as he saw Jack coming down the stairs.

“Shit” George muttered under his breath as Ianto turned and saw Jack for himself.

“Get out of my house you bastard.” Jack yelled at George. “I don't care what you're here for, you're not welcome, ever.”

“Jack, he thinks he's seen Eloise.” Ianto said, trying to calm him.

Jack came to a stop, fist clenched by his side and a look of pure hate still on his face as he processed what Ianto had just said, not changing his demeanour or expression as he finally spoke.

“Where?” He demanded.

George repeated what he had told Ianto and Jack's expression never relaxed, he was still fuming with Ianto's cousin for what he had done to him all those years ago, even though he knew it must have taken courage for him to come straight to them and not just go to the police.

“Thank you George.” Jack told him, his voice polite but full of hate. “Well, pass the information onto the police.”

“You okay?” George frowned.

Ianto glanced as Jack and realised he was pressing his hand to his belly again.

“He'll be fine, thanks George, it's much appreciated but I think you should go.” Ianto told him a lot more calmly that he felt.

“It's okay, I understand totally how you feel about me.”

Without another word George left the house and ran down the drive to his car, Ianto shut the door firmly and turned to Jack.

“Fucking piece of shit.” Jack spat. “Why didn't he just go to the police? Why come here, he knows what we think of him?”

“I don't know Jack, maybe he's trying to make amends somehow.” Ianto shrugged.

“Would you accept his apology? Forgive him for what he did?” Jack frowned.

“Never.” Ianto replied resolutely.

“Good, he's never going to get my forgiveness for what he did to you. He'll never be welcome in this house.” Jack groaned loudly and clutched his stomach again.

“Bed, now.” Ianto told Jack, taking his arm and steering him back up the stairs.

“We have to call Andy.” Jack told him.

“I will call Andy, you need to rest. Don't try and tell me you are fine, you're clutching your stomach again.”

“It's hurting a little.” Jack admitted.

Ianto pulled the duvet down and held it as Jack got back into bed.

“I will call Andy now, then I will come to bed and tell you what he said, okay?”

Jack nodded and snuggled back under the duvet, determined not to sleep until Ianto came back. After calling Andy as giving him the information George had told them Ianto grabbed a quick shower and then sipped into bed with Jack, pulling him into his arms and holding him close.

“Andy said that he would focus their search around the Brecon Beacons tomorrow, but that we shouldn't get our hopes up to much. He said they might not even be living near there, just using the pub to eat but they will search the whole area with a fine tooth comb.”

“We should be out there now, knocking on doors.”

“No, you need to to as your told and rest, no risking the life of this baby.” Ianto told him sternly, rubbing his hand comfortingly over Jack's stomach.

“I know, it's just ...”

“I know, I want her back soon too.” Ianto's voice dropped to a whisper. “I'm sorry I ever suggested we shouldn't have this baby.”

“I know you never meant it, no more apologising.” Jack kissed Ianto tenderly on the lips before yawning softly. “We'll call Andy first in the morning and see if he has any news.”

“Yes, I will.” Ianto told him as Jack closed his eyes and Ianto held him even tighter.

Ianto left Jack sleeping the next morning, finding Claire and Caden in the kitchen having breakfast he joined them, refusing anything but coffee. He hadn't slept well, his dreams full of confusing images of George as what he had done to him when he found out about him being with Jack and of Eloise calling out to him to come and get him, that she missed him and her daddy.

“You okay?” Claire asked, passing him a mug of coffee.

“Not really, no” Ianto replied, but not saying anymore and nodding towards his son in way of explanation.

“Caden, how about you show dada what a big boy you are and show him you can dressed all by yourself?” Claire suggested.

“I am a big boy!” Caden stated, hopping off the chair he was sitting on and running up to his bedroom.

“It was him, last night, he's upset you hasn't he?” Claire asked gently.

“George, he's my cousin and he thought it a good idea to 'gay bash' me when he found out I was with Jack, nasty texts at first then he and two mates took it upon themselves to try and beat me up.”

“Nice cousin you have there.” Claire said, clearly shocked.

“Yeah, we all ended up under arrest but Jack ... well, you know Jack.” Ianto told her, giving her a small smile.

“So he came here to tell you he thought he had seen Eloise? Maybe he really does regret what he did back then?”

“Maybe, but I don't know if I can ever forgive him. I know Jack never will either”

“You passed the information onto the police?”

“Yep. Andy's confining the search to that area today, damn I want her home!” Ianto slammed his fist down on the kitchen table.

Claire slid off her seat and moved to him, wrapping her arms around him and hugging him tight.

“She'll be home soon, I know she will.” Claire told him soothingly as Jack appeared at the kitchen door.

Jack moved across the room, Claire released Ianto from her embrace and Jack took her place, holding his lover tight as Claire slipped from the room giving them some privacy.

TBC


	37. Chapter 37

“You okay.” Jack asked softly in Ianto's ear.

“Yep, just ... you know ... thinking about how much I want Eloise home.”

“You really think that ... George was telling the truth last night, not just trying to wind you up?”

“He couldn't have known about Rebecca calling her Susan if he was, that's never been made public.” Ianto pulled out of Jack's arms and moved to make the first coffee of the day.

“Even if his information helps find Eloise I'm not sure I can forgive him for what he did before.” Jack told him.

“I don't know if he told us because he felt like he wanted to make amends or if he just reacted like anyone else about someone's child being taken.” Ianto shrugged. “But no, I don't imagine he's changed his thoughts on me being with you.”

“We'll just have to see what happens.” Jack replied as he took the mug of coffee Ianto handed him.

Ianto placed his now free hand on Jack's stomach. “Your stomach okay this morning?”

“Yeah, no pains. I was so scared last night, I can't go through nine months of that.”

“Well, I won't let you, any sign of stress and you're confined to base, boss or not.”

“Yes Sir.” Jack smiled softly. “You know, as soon as we get Eloise back we're going on that holiday we talked about.”

“As long as Chloe gives you the okay.” Ianto replied.

“It'll be all about rest and relaxation with my husband and children, how could she not agree?”

“We'll see.”

“Time to shower and dress, face the coming day.” Jack said as he finished his coffee and placed the mug in the dishwasher.

“You go first, I'm going to phone Andy.”

“Shower can wait then.”

“No, you go and shower.” Ianto told him, pushing him out the kitchen door.

“Won't be long.”

Ianto waited till he could hear the shower start and then dialled Andy's mobile number, it was answered after only a couple of rings.

“Ianto mate, how you holding up? How's Jack?”

“We'd be better if our daughter was home.” Ianto snapped and then immediately regretted it. “Sorry Andy, I know you're doing everything you can.”

“Forget it Ianto, look were checking out the area where the pub is, at the moment going door to door. From what you said we don't think she's in the actual village because it sound like she living in a more rural area but we're hoping one of the locals might remember something.”

“Yep, somewhere with fields and cows near a wood, I wish we had more to go on.”

“Anything is better than nothing, I promise if we get any kind of lead I will call you.”

“Thanks Andy.” Ianto replied saying goodbye and cutting the call.

Ianto walked upstairs ready to have his shower as soon as Jack emerged from the bathroom and almost bumped into him emerging from it with a towel wrapped around his waist.

“What did Andy say?” Jack asked.

Ianto related the call to him before they fell into a comforting hug kissing softly till they heard Caden making his usual disgusted noises behind them and pulled apart. Both of them couldn't help but chuckle when they looked at him, yes he had dressed but he was wearing odd socks and his shirt was buttoned up more than a little haphazardly.

“What?” Caden pouted.

“Go see Claire, she'll sort out your shirt.” Jack told him.

“Okay daddy.” Caden replied not sure what he meant but ran off happily to find his nanny.

“He is one of the things stopping me from losing the plot.” Ianto stated.

“And the others?”

“You, Claire, my family and our friends.” Ianto told him.

“Yeah, same here. He hasn't said anymore about Eloise, do you think she's still okay?”

“I'm sure she is, I think Caden's connection to his sister would mean he would know if something had happened to her.”

“I think we should try tonight what we did before, get him relaxed and to bed early and ask him to 'talk' to his sister.” Jack suggested.

“Sounds like a good idea, it's comforting knowing that she's okay if nothing else.” Ianto agreed. “Right, I'm going in the shower.”

They spent the morning playing with Caden, Ianto's parents came round at lunchtime and took the little boy out to give him some fresh air, driving him to the beach. Jack and Ianto decided to go to the hub, the Doctor and Donna were still there and even though they knew they would understand them not being able to make much time to see them they felt a little guilty after all the help the Doctor had given them.

Damien was in the TARDIS with the Doctor, he had given his access to her files and Damien was taking full advantage, he also couldn't miss the way the TARDIS seemed to relate to him as he used the on-board computer. Donna was with Gwen and Chloe, they were on the sofa drinking coffee from a local coffee shop and talking. As soon as Jack and Ianto entered the hub they were swamped with hugs from the three of them.

They had barely been there five minutes when Ianto's phone rang, it was Andy who had been given strict instructions by Ianto to phone him and not Jack.

“Ianto, it's Andy.” Andy began as if Ianto wouldn't know who it was. “We think we've found them, we've found a cottage in the middle of nowhere and the surrounding countryside is just like you said, cows, woods etc. There is no one home at the moment but from what we can see though the windows it is occupied and from the toys on the floor of the living room there is a small female child living there.” Andy paused for breath. “Ianto, we're watching from out of sight for them to come home, I thought you both might want to be here.”

“You really think you've found her?” Ianto replied, unable to believe his ears as Jack's jaw dropped and he rushed to Ianto's side.

“Yes, I'll text you the location and were we are waiting, just don't come on that bloody SUV.”

“Of course, shit, I mean, we're on our way.”

Ianto flipped his phone closed and told everyone. “They think they might have found where Eloise is, they're waiting for the occupants of the cottage to come back.”

Ianto phoned beeped signalling that he had received a text message, checking it as he and Jack grabbed their coats and confirming it was the information Andy had promised and rushed out the hub.

TBC


	38. Chapter 38

Jack slammed through the gears as they sped towards the location Andy had sent them via the text, neither he or Ianto were saying much, both of them just wanting to get there as soon as possible and their emotions were in such turmoil they weren't sure they could speak without breaking down anyway.

Andy's text had also told them that he and his officers were staking out the house from a barn in the fields opposite, which normally housed the hay for the cows but was almost empty at the time and had room to hide their cars as well.

Slowing down as they neared the location it took all their strength to not go straight to the house and headed into the field and pulled up inside the barn. Andy and his officers were sat at the top of some of the few remaining bales watching over the house from the small gap where the metal roof almost met the wooden wall.

“Nothing yet.” Andy called down to them as they began the climb up the neighbouring bales.

“You don't think it's been abandoned, that she got wind that we might know where they were and fled again?” Jack asked as they reached the top.

“Looks like nothings been pack, she would have at least taken the basics and looking in the kitchen window all the breakfast things have been washed up, not the actions of a woman fleeing the scene.” Andy told them.

“Okay.” Jack said thoughtfully as he and Ianto perched on the hay bales, hands clutched tightly in each others.

“So, how did you end up here?” Ianto asked.

“One of the villagers remembered seeing the woman leaving the pub with the little girl yesterday, she was in her car and the woman pulled out in front of her and well, the roads being narrow like they are around here she couldn't help but follow her until she turned off into the drive of that cottage.”

“So she didn't actually recognise them from the appeals on the TV?” Jack asked.

“She doesn't have one and although she knew a child was missing she had no idea what Eloise looked like.”

“So we just sit here and wait?” Ianto asked.

“Yes, if we go after her car she will make a run for it and we could lose her again, once she's in the house it will be easier to confine her and get Eloise back safely.”

Ianto made to climb back down to the ground. “I can't just sit here watching an empty house.”

“Wait, I'll climb down with you.” Jack told him, adding to Andy. “We'll be just down there, we want to know the second you see anything.”

“Of course Jack.”

Once they reached the bottom Ianto climbed into the back of their car, Jack following him. As soon as Jack closed the door behind him Ianto wrapped his arms around his husband, holding him tightly.

“Do you really think we're going to get Eloise back today? As much as I so want her back I can't let myself get my hopes up.” Ianto said into Jack's chest.

“I'm just trying to keep calm, trying to keep my stress levels down.” Jack replied honestly.

Ianto's head shot up. “Are you in pain?”

“No, no, not at the moment and I want it to stay that way.”

“You're not just saying what I want to hear?” Ianto concern etched on his face.

Jack pressed a small kiss to Ianto's lips. “No, I promise.”

They fell into silence again as they just sat in the back of the car holding each other with their eyes fixed on Andy and his officers at the tip of the barn waiting for some sign something was happening. The minutes turned into hours before they heard what sounded like a car pulling onto the drive opposite, Jack and Ianto were out the car instantly as the police scrambled down the pile of hay.

“Stay there!” Andy ordered Jack and Ianto, running out the barn with the officers and around to the side of the barn.

“No chance.” Jack muttered as he and Ianto moved to follow them.

Andy had to hold them back as they watched Rebecca Downs get out the car followed by a very unhappy looking Eloise. She looked well looked after, but there was nothing happy in her expression as she followed Rebecca into the house.

“Just a few more minutes, wait till they're inside.” Andy told them.

“Come on, come on.” Ianto was muttering under his breath, they were within feet of their daughter.

And that was all hell broke loose, Jack ran across the road with Ianto hot on his heels towards the house ignoring Andy as he shouted after them. Jack's shoulder his the front door with full force sending it flying off it's hinges as they both pulled their guns out of their holsters and ran into the house as a shocked looking Rebecca appeared in the hallway.

“Where is our daughter?” Jack demanded, advancing on her, his gun trained on her body.

“No idea what you're talking about.” She tried to bluff as he voice trembled.

Ianto moved to stand next to Jack, his gun in the same position as he growled. “Where is Eloise, we know you have her.”

“DADA?” A little unsure voice shouted from the adjoining room. “DADDY?”

Ianto rushed past Jack, holstered his gun and shoved the door open as Jack moved close enough to Rebecca to put the end of the barrel of his gun against her forehead, not even registering that Andy was stood behind yelling at him to drop the gun.

Eloise leapt into Ianto arms, sobbing her heart out into his chest as he held her tight his eyes full of the hate he was feeling for the woman at the end of Jack's gun as he stroked her hair and told her she was safe.

“I should just fucking shoot you, do you know what you've done to us over the last week?” Jack snarled.

“She's my daughter, not yours.” Rebecca told him. “She needs a mummy.”

That just angered the two men more, Ianto carried Eloise out of the room and stopped beside Jack.

“She doesn't need a mummy, she has two daddies and a brother who love her and that's what matters. You need help, serious help.” Ianto snarled at her before carrying his daughter out the house.

“Please, don't hurt me.” Rebecca whispered.

There was a small sound as Jack cocked his gun and her eyes widened with terror.

“Jack, don't do it, she's not worth it.” Andy said as he moved behind him and put his hand on Jack's shoulder.

TBC


	39. Chapter 39

Jack didn't move just kept his eyes locked on Rebecca's scared ones and the barrel of his gun pressed against her head as she trembled in fear, too focused on the woman to even barely realise Andy was talking to him.

“Jack, drop the gun.” Andy ordered him. “Before you do something you'll regret.”

Jack didn't move or show any sign of hearing him.

“Please don't make me use force.” Andy continued, the other officers ready to take control as his command.

Andy frowned as Jack's free hand moved suddenly and put pressure on his stomach before he let out a growl of pain and let the gun drop down to his side.

“Just get her out of my sight.” Jack told Andy as he doubled over in pain.

Andy watched as the woman was cuffed and led out of the house by his officers before turning his attention to Jack, Jack's face was etched with pain and he could see fear in his eyes.

“Jack, what is it, what's wrong?” Andy asked concerned.

“I'll be okay, I just need to get out of here.” Jack disarmed his gun and slid it back in it's holster before moving out the house closely followed by Andy, ready to help him if he needed it.

Ianto wanted as his husband emerged from the house, Jack was trying to hide his pain but Ianto could see it in his eyes as Eloise struggled in his arms and called out to her daddy wanting to run to him. Ianto held onto her tight, scared himself for Jack.

“I think daddy has a belly ache sweetie, you stay in my arms for now okay?” Ianto asked her softly.

Eloise frowned. “Daddy sick? Daddy needs cuddles.”

“He does but lets wait till we get home okay?”

“Okay dada.” She replied as Jack made his way other to them and wrapped his arms around them ignoring the pain in his stomach.

“You're in pain.” Ianto stated, whispering in Jack's ear. “We need to get you home.”

Jack kissed Eloise over and over on her cheeks and forehead as they walked towards their car, Ianto driving while Jack sat in the back with Eloise holding her tight until they reached home. They had agreed with Andy a few days ago that when they found Eloise they would take her straight home, that they had their own doctor to check her over and that anything like that could wait a few days, she had been through enough trauma over the last week.

“You feeling any better Jack?” Ianto asked as he parked in their drive.

“The pains subsiding now, I'm okay.” Jack told him as he climbed out the car, Eloise taking his hand.

“Kiss it better daddy.” She said, Jack crouched down so she could kiss him.

“Thanks bub.” He told her, rubbing a protective hand over his stomach.

Ianto took Eloise's hand in his and they walked towards the front door which was flung open before they reached it, Claire standing watching with tears in her eyes as Caden ran out squealing excitedly at the sight of his sister. Eloise let go of both her father hands and wrapped her arms around her brother, kissing him as he screwed his face up but refrained from wiping it away with the back of his hand.

“You found her, you found my sister.” Caden said excitedly.

“I could hear you in my head.” Eloise told him. “Could you hear me?”

“Yep, daddy says we're special.” Caden grinned. “Come on.”

Caden grabbed Eloise's hand and dragged her into the house, acting like they had never been apart.

“You found her, you bought her home.” Claire said crying as they pulled her into a hug.

“With lots of help from lots of people.” Jack replied, tears of relief finally falling down his face.

Jack looked at Ianto and saw he was in the same state, the tears of relief and happiness they had been holding back now flowing freely along with Claire's as they hugged on the front doorstep.

“We should go in, see what the kids are up to.” Claire said, wiping away the tears on her cheeks but unable to stop them flowing.

“Now!” Stated Ianto as a news reporters van pulled up outside the house. “They've got wind of out good news, I can't be doing with them at the moment.”

All three of them rushed inside the house as two people got out of the van just in time to see the front door close. Caden and Eloise were in the living room, playing with the Lego as if nothing had ever happened, Claire quietly left the room to let the family have time alone and went to call Gwen at the hub to tell her the good news to pass on to everyone else as well as Ianto's parents before they heard it on the news.

Jack closed the curtains to block out the outside world as Ianto turned on the lights and then they settled down on the sofa just watching their twins play, it seemed the kids were a lot more resilient that they could ever have given them credit for and so much more than themselves.

They wouldn't kid themselves that Eloise would have come out this unscathed, they knew their might be nightmares and upset but they would tackle it as it happened. She looked well treated and healthy but they would get Chloe to check her over in a day or so just to make sure there hadn't been any abuse of any kind and then they would go away somewhere, just the four of them.

Ianto pressed his lips softly to Jack's. “She's really home.”

“Yeah, I can hardly believe it myself.” Jack replied. “I could just watch them play forever.”

“What will happen to her, Rebecca?”

“She'll be charged with kidnapping among other things and hopefully get the help she needs.”

“I never want to see her again, I don't care why she did it, I hate her with all my heart.” Ianto stated.

“I know, I nearly did something I would have regretted.”

“Is that why did you take so long to follow us out?” Ianto asked, his voice a whisper so the twins couldn't hear.

“I was trying to decide whether or not to shoot her.” Jack whispered back.

“That wouldn't have helped, no matter how much I would have agreed with it. What stopped you?” Ianto asked.

Jack placed Ianto hand on his stomach. “The baby.” Jack whispered just before Ianto kissed him deeply.

They heard a little giggle and pulled apart, seeing Eloise watching them. She jumped to her feet and climbed up onto the sofa between them.

“I missed you daddy, dada. I wanted so much to come home.”

“We missed you too sweetie.” Ianto told her.

“I told that lady I didn't need a mummy, but she was mean and wouldn't bring me home.”

“She was a bad lady but she's also not well.” Jack replied.

“Doctor make her better?” Eloise asked.

“Let's hope so.” Jack told her, not wanting to upset her with more details.

“Can we have pizza for dinner dada?”

“Whatever you want, anything.”

“Thanks dada.”

Eloise went back to playing with Caden as Jack and Ianto stretched out on the sofa, Jack spooning against Ianto as they settled into watching their children play again not caring about anything else at that moment about anything or anyone else.

The End.

'Verse continued in 'Together Again'


End file.
